Adam Schefter of ESPN threw cold water on the speculation that the Pittsburgh Steelers could fire head coach Mike Tomlin.
"If a change ever occurs there, it's going to be because Mike Tomlin doesn't want to be back there," Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show . "Mike Tomlin, again I know people in Pittsburgh don't like it, hasn't had the losing season in his 18 years as head coach. They also haven't won a playoff game since 2016. It's both ways, some people view it one way, other people view it another way.
"If they did not want Mike Tomlin there, maybe the message is stale. Maybe he moves on like Andy Reid, finds a new home. Andy Reid's time in Philly ran out, he went to Kansas City and we see how that worked out for him. … If Mike Tomlin were a coaching free agent, he automatically would become the No. 1 coaching free agent out there. He could have any coaching job he wanted. He could have any broadcasting job he wanted. The Steelers fans clearly have had enough of Mike Tomlin, but they're not firing Mike Tomlin. That's not gonna happen. We're not gonna get one of these announcements that the Steelers have relieved him of his duties the way that we do from these other teams."
Tomlin is signed through the 2027 season. A trade could be an option, but Tomlin would have to sign off on it.
With the Steelers losing 23-7 in the third quarter of Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills , "Fire Tomlin" chants erupted from the crowd at Acrisure Stadium.
Steelers fans also booed during "Renegade". That's never happened before. That's how bad things are right now.
Fans are fed up with the state of the Steelers, and a majority of them blame Tomlin for the lack of success. The Steelers have not won a playoff game since the 2016 season. That's almost a decade. That long of a playoff win drought hasn't happened for the Steelers since pre-1972.
With the 26-7 lopsided loss to the Bills, the Steelers have lost five of their last seven games. At 6-6, the Steelers remain in the playoff race and are in contention for the division title, but as of right now, they'll be lucky to win another game.
"Man, I share their frustrations tonight. We didn't do enough. That's just the reality of it," Tomlin said in his postgame interview when asked about fans chanting for him to be fired.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Schefter Highly Doubts Steelers Would Fire Tomlin: 'That's Not Gonna Happen'
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