Mike Tomlin denies claims that the Steelers are "stuck" and responds to rumors of a potential trade to a different team.

In recent years, the Pittsburgh Steelers, despite being one of the NFL's most celebrated franchises with six Super Bowl wins, have struggled to make it past the postseason.

Since 2006, Mike Tomlin has been the coach of the team and led them to a Super Bowl title. However, it has been eight years since he coached a team to a playoff victory. Despite never ending a regular season with a losing record, Tomlin has yet to lead a team to a playoff victory.

Despite being one of the most stable franchises in the league with only three head coaches in the past five decades, recent playoff failures have raised questions about whether Tomlin should continue as head coach.

On Tuesday, Tomlin shrugged when asked if the Steelers feel "stuck" after being dominated by the Ravens in the wild-card round on Saturday.

"The NFL's longest-tenured coach stated that feeling stuck is helpless, but he doesn't know if he feels helpless."

I understand the disappointment everyone feels about the Steelers' early playoff exit," Tomlin said. "I don't feel like promoting optimism at this time. It's frustrating not to be working, and that's where we are.

Tomlin is not expected to leave his position as head coach of the Steelers, despite the team's struggles on defense during a five-game slide through the standings.

Tomlin is confident that he can assist Pittsburgh in ending its current playoff victory drought, which has lasted over half a century since the "Immaculate Reception."

Skylar Thompson is the only quarterback under contract for the 2025 season, while Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, and Kyle Allen are all scheduled to become free agents in March.

There is a possibility that the team may start the 2025 season with their fifth different Week 1 starter in a row, despite Wilson and Fields expressing interest in returning and Tomlin stating that the team is open to considering them.

Despite making progress during a midseason stretch in which Wilson won six of his first seven starts, the Steelers averaged only 14.2 points during their late swoon, which was not enough to advance to the divisional round or beyond.

Tomlin acknowledged the growing discontent among the fanbase during his team's "Groundhog Day" era.

"He acknowledged the frustrations and admitted to sharing them."

The coach, who ranks 12th in NFL history for wins, believes his message remains effective despite not being in the top 10. He attributes this to the fact that only a small part of his job involves messaging, with the majority of his focus on schematics, preparation, and talent development. He believes the team has evolved in these areas.

"He acknowledged that he is open to adaptation and change, and that this is not a new discussion. He has been doing different things over time."

Teams with job openings should save their time if they inquire about Tomlin's willingness to move on in Pittsburgh.

"Tomlin responded to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, stating that he had no message for any team considering a trade. He advised them to save their time."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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