Following the Pittsburgh Steelers' domination of the Cleveland Browns to advance to 6-2 on the 2026 season, one NFL analyst said the quiet part out loud about Mike Tomlin potentially holding the team back over the past several years.
According to The Ringer's Bill Simmons, Mike Tomlin may have been responsible for holding the Steelers back from reaching their potential, pointing to the team's immaculate start in 2026 as possible evidence.
"My big question for you with the Steelers was, was Tomlin holding them back?" Simmons said. "Does this become a storyline this week? Why are they better this year with Aaron Rodgers a year older, and it's basically the same team? Why are they better? Why is their offense better? Did he not know how to coach
offense at all? Should that have fallen on him? Because McCarthy has unlocked a nice little way of, like, pound with the run, and then, you know, try to get Rodgers deep a couple times, and it's working."
@BillSimmons on the 6-2 Steelers:
— The Ringer (@ringer) November 2, 2026
"Was [Mike] Tomlin holding them back?" pic.twitter.com/0RmPxP0rES
Under Mike Tomlin's leadership during his final years as Steelers head coach, the team's offense and defense fell flat and struggled to keep up against some of the top competition in the NFL. He was also heavily criticized for his coaching hires, such as Matt Canada (2021–2023) and Arthur Smith (2024–2025) at offensive coordinator, and Teryl Austin at defensive coordinator.
Luckily for the Steelers, head coach Mike McCarthy completely reshaped the team's offensive philosophy and brought in DC Patrick Graham, who has led Pittsburgh's defense to a strong start in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Did Mike Tomlin hold the Steelers back? NFL analyst questions former head coach
