Stephen A. Smith, Ryan Clark verbally spar over Mike Tomlin's future with Pittsburgh Steelers

Mike Tomlin‘s future with the Pittsburgh Steelers suddenly came into question this past week after fans inside Acrisure Stadium chanted “Fire Tomlin” during the Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Steelers responded Sunday by picking up a big victory over the Baltimore Ravens to regain their spot atop the AFC North.

The win didn’t move the needle for Stephen A. Smith of ESPN. Smith, a longtime Steelers fan, went back-and-forth with fellow ESPN analyst and former Pittsburgh safety Ryan Clark during “Monday Night Countdown” about Tomlin’s future and the team’s potential of winning a playoff game this season. Smith isn’t feeling optimistic.

“If anybody has a right to say those things, it’s Steelers nation. They’re with them, they’re ride or die no matter what. They’ve been there, they know they haven’t won a playoff game since 2016. That’s the reality of the situation,” Smith said. “We saw a Pittsburgh Steelers team rise to the occasion, which is typical of a Mike Tomlin team. When you count them out, when the odds are stacked against them, that’s when they rise up — in the regular season. Here’s the problem: I’m sitting here yesterday as a Steelers fan, and I’m upset, and I’m upset that Ryan Clark is not upset. Here’s the reason why: winning this game likely puts them in a position to win the division.

“But did you see a team that had eight total yards of offense in the fourth quarter? Is that gonna win you a playoff game? No, which means what has been going on will continue going on, and my attitude is when is the same old, same old going to be enough for us? Respectfully, Mike Tomlin, great man, great coach, will have another job in a heartbeat and deserve it. … But in the end, when you look at the Pittsburgh Steelers, we saw absolutely nothing that tells us they’re going to win a playoff game for the first time since 2016.”

Mike Tomlin’s future in Pittsburgh has been talked about a lot over the past week

Clark called out Smith for being negative after a much-needed win for the Steelers. At the same time, he agreed with Smith’s overall assessment of the situation.

“The first thing is, you’re a hater. We’ve had this conversation over and over again. You’re the first man to ever be a fan of a team and be upset that they won a game,” Clark said. “No, they won a game because they prepared. They won a game because it was a divisional rivalry and Aaron Rodgers stepped up to the plate and made plays. DK Metcalf showed up… and the defense made enough plays on third down.

“I say all of that to say I agree. I absolutely agree with you. You’re going to get the same thing from this team. This team didn’t play in a way that says they can win a playoff game but what the hell are they supposed to do but go out and go win every game on their schedule.”

Tomlin, 53, is in his 19th season as head coach of the Steelers. The Steelers are well over .600 and won a Super Bowl in 2008 under his leadership. Pittsburgh under Tomlin has finished .500 or better in every season.

The Steelers, however, have not won a playoff game since the 2016 season. Tomlin signed a three-year contract extension prior to the 2024 season. He is under contract through the 2027 season. The Steelers have had just three head coaches since 1969.