Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin following a game against the Detroit Lions on Dec. 21, 2025 — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin believes the Steelers can win the Super Bowl in their first season without him.
“I certainly do. I think that’s the only reason Aaron [Rodgers] comes back. He believes it, I believe it. I don’t think he comes back if he doesn’t believe that,” Tomlin said Thursday on The Rich Eisen Show. “I think they got the bones of having a good unit at all three phases. Certainly, they’re probably not being talked about in the ways that some others are being talked about, but that can be a good motivator and a catalyst for them as well. I think they got high expectations, and I think they should have high expectations.”
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers revealed at training camp that Tomlin helped him restore his love for the game.
Tomlin believes Rodgers would have returned for another year regardless of who was the team’s head coach.
“I believe he would have,” Tomlin said on The Dan Patrick Show. “Just spending 12 months with Aaron, man this guy has a love affair with football and all components of it. I think he would’ve strongly considered it regardless of circumstances. That’s just my gut feeling.”
The Steelers have gone 10-7 in each of the last three seasons. But playoff success has been a lingering issue. The Steelers have not won a playoff game since Jan. 15, 2017. It’s the longest playoff win drought for the franchise since pre-1972.
Tomlin closed his tenure with seven straight playoff losses. Winning a playoff game would be a best-case scenario for the Steelers in 2026. Just getting to the playoffs is not good enough.
Winning a Super Bowl seems out of reach, however. There are major questions surrounding Rodgers, the offensive line, inside linebacker and depth at safety. The Steelers currently have 50-1 odds to win the Super Bowl, which is tied for 18th-best.
Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers throws a pass during a training camp practice. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
The Steelers are always at least competitive. They haven’t had a losing season since 2003. While last season ended on a brutal note, getting manhandled by the Houston Texans in the Wild Card game, the Steelers won the AFC North for the first time since 2020.
The Steelers’ odds to win the AFC North sit at roughly +550 across major sportsbooks, making them the third-favorites to win the division. The Baltimore Ravens are once again the favorites, followed by the Cincinnati Bengals. The Cleveland Browns are expected to be in the basement of the AFC North again, especially with All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett no longer on the team.
The Cincinnati Bengals have the the firepower with quarterback Joe Burrow and star wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but there’s still major question marks with the defense. Cincinnati did bolster the unit this offseason, however, especially with trading for three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.
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