The Pittsburgh Steelers have been nothing other than mediocre for most of the last decade under head coach Mike Tomlin. This season, the Steelers got off to a strong start, but things are starting to fall apart at the seams, with Pittsburgh going 2-5 in its last seven games.
Things came to a boiling point on Sunday in a blowout home loss to the injury-riddled Buffalo Bills, where fans in the stands chanted “Fire Tomlin,” and even boing the stadium playing “Renegade,” a tradition meant to inspire fans.
“Fire Tomlin” pic.twitter.com/wXxJd0evKt
— Noah Strackbein (@NoahStrackbein) November 30, 2025
On Tuesday, in his weekly press conference, Tomlin addressed the chants, and his response was quite shocking.
“In general, I agree with them — from this perspective. Football is our game. We’re in the sport entertainment business. And so, if you root for the Steelers, entertaining them is winning. And so, when you’re not winning, it’s not entertaining.
“And if you’ve been in this business, you understand that. And so, I respect it. I share frustrations. I understand what makes this thing go, and winning is what makes this thing go.”
#Steelers HC Mike Tomlin was asked what it's like for him to hear fans saying he has to go. He began his answer with a smile:
"In general, I agree with them — from this perspective. Football is our game. We're in the sport entertainment business. And so, if you root for the…
— Brendan Howe (@bybrendanhowe) December 2, 2025
Fans reacted to Tomlin’s words on social media.
“Rooney needs to do right by the fans and ask Tomlin if he wants to mutually part ways or get fired. Just sucks Rooney is a coward and would never do that he must like being mediocre too,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“He should go into politics. He said a lot without saying anything,” another fan added.
It’ll be interesting to see what Tomlin’s future holds in store if he can’t turn things around.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.