Mike Tomlin is in his 19th season as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach and has yet to have a losing season. However, that doesn’t make him immune to criticism. There has recently been a ton of outside noise about Tomlin, with many wondering if the Steelers should move on from him. Tomlin’s Steelers have yet to flinch, though. They went on the road and beat the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14, taking over first place in the AFC North. Former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho doesn’t think that is enough to take some of the heat off Tomlin.

“Hell no,” Acho said recently on his Speakeasy podcast. “A playoff win will take Mike Tomlin off the hot seat. This win ain’t take him off the hot seat. Ain’t no way. Mike Tomlin hasn’t won a playoff game since [2016]. A regular-season win over a struggling Ravens team that is now below .500 is not taking Mike Tomlin off the hot seat.”

While some people were calling for the Steelers to fire Tomlin, it didn’t seem like he was ever on the hot seat. However, it has been reported that there’s a team option in Tomlin’s contract for the 2027 season, and the Steelers have to decide whether they want to pick it up before March 1.

That could open the door for the Steelers to explore moving on from Tomlin, even if that doesn’t mean firing him.

Acho still makes a good point, though. Beating the Ravens shouldn’t shield Tomlin from criticism. They stumbled again coming out of halftime. They continued to have issues stopping the run, and they couldn’t run the ball. While it was a good and much-needed win, the Steelers are far from fixed.

We’ll see how the Steelers’ final four games of the season go. That stretch will likely provide clarity on Tomlin’s future. If the Steelers continue to win, including potentially a postseason game, his job will likely be secure.

However, if the Steelers fall flat on their faces, lose the division lead, and miss the playoffs, perhaps the conversation around the Steelers moving on from Tomlin will become more real. Don’t expect him to get fired, though. That doesn’t seem to be on the table, at least for now.