‘It’s stupid’: Willie Colon on possibility of Steelers moving on from Mike Tomlin

With the Pittsburgh Steelers season winding down, it seems like all everyone wants to discuss is whether or not Mike Tomlin should remain their head coach. Although the Steelers continued to be successful in the regular season, Tomlin was criticized for their lack of success in the playoffs. The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2016, and that’s starting to wear on people. Former Steelers offensive lineman Willie Colon thinks it’s a bad idea and wants to know who the Steelers would replace Tomlin with.

“No,” Colon said. Monday on the Zach Gelb Show. “It’s stupid. Okay, so who?

That’s a good question. Would the Steelers be able to find a better head coach than Tomlin? Maybe, but maybe not. Under Tomlin, the Steelers may have struggled in the playoffs recently, but they haven’t hit rock bottom. They have remained competitive despite not having a franchise quarterback.

Still, it’s curious if Tomlin’s time with the Steelers is over. Colon totally disagrees with this, but it’s not a crazy idea. Yes, Tomlin has never had a losing season, but that’s not the Steelers’ goal every year. They want to win the Super Bowl.

During that same segment, Gelb used the New England Patriots’ firing of Bill Belichick as an example of why the Steelers might move on from Tomlin. In response, Colon made it clear that he doesn’t believe the situation is the same as the one the Steelers currently find themselves in.

“The last three years with Bill Belichick, they were like the Bad News Bears. They just weren’t good. We couldn’t even recognize the Patriots. You may still recognize the Pittsburgh Steelers. I just don’t think getting rid of Mike Tomlin is the solution.

In his final seasons with the Patriots, Belichick enjoyed much less success. Three of the four years after Tom Brady left, the Patriots finished with a losing record, including a 4-13 record in 2023. The Steelers haven’t been that bad after losing their franchise quarterback.

However, there’s still an argument to be made that you can’t recognize the Steelers. The team’s standard is championship, but they haven’t competed for one in a long time. They have been more prone to late-season collapses in recent years, while being dominated in the playoffs. These problems trace back to Tomlin.

It seems extremely likely that Tomlin will be back with the Steelers in 2025. However, as the Steelers continue to be plagued by the same issues, it seems like he deserves some scrutiny. Maybe the Steelers will struggle without Tomlin, but doing the same thing over and over doesn’t work either. If next season is just as disappointing, perhaps the Steelers will seriously consider moving on.