The Atlanta Falcons are right in the thick of their head coaching search, and it's clear Matt Ryan wants to cast a wide net in his new role. The Falcons have largely been linked to offensive-minded coaches, but one eliminated playoff team threatens to shake up an already-chaotic head coaching carousel.
The Pittsburgh Steelers once again lost in the opening round of the playoffs after clinching the AFC North by the skin of their teeth. Their 17-6 loss to the Houston Texans has seen questions grow louder surrounding Mike Tomlin's future with the franchise after he was nearly fired last weekend.
Now that John Harbaugh has been fired, the 53-year-old is the longest-tenured active head coach, but he shouldn't be. Tomlin is objectively a good football coach who has dragged mediocre Steelers' rosters to the playoffs, but now, something needs to change in Pittsburgh, which should be his firing.
After another early playoff exit, it's clear Mike Tomlin is not the head coach to answer the Falcons' prayers
It's hard to fire a head coach who has never led you to a losing season, but they have no choice. They haven't been true Super Bowl contenders in nearly a decade, so if he is fired (or they "mutually part ways", Arthur Blank must avoid the allure of his track record and consider his lack of recent success.
Let's put this into perspective: the Falcons are amid an eight-year playoff drought and still have a more recent playoff win than the Steelers. They have also five straight playoff games by double-digit points, and Tomlin tied Marvin Lewis for most consecutive playoff losses without a win last night.
Blank loves experienced head coaches, but there's a stark difference between hiring Tomlin and Harbaugh. They're both Super Bowl champions, but Harbaugh has enjoyed significantly more recent playoff success, as the Ravens are three seasons removed from an AFC Championship appearance.
The only leg up he has on Harbaugh is being 10 years younger, but I trust both other ex-AFC North coaches who are available would be better fits in Atlanta. Kevin Stefanski would assemble a solid staff and help to develop Michael Penix Jr., while Harbaugh would make this team instantly competitive.
Tomlin has been a shell of himself for years. They've had a revolving door at QB since Ben Roethlisberger retired, but even beforehand, their offense regressed, as Pittsburgh has been home to a bottom 10 offense for seven straight years. For as consistent as he is he's just as inconsistent.
Hiring him would basically be settling for adequate, and after hearing Blank's reasoning for firing Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot to begin with, this team has no business settling for nine or 10-win seasons and an early playoff exit when they are talented enough to be Super Bowl contenders.
The Falcons have no business being involved, but he'll likely draw coaching interest in 2026. Frankly, the game is starting to pass Tomlin by, so it's best for everyone if he takes the cushy TV opening to replace Ryan at CBS