Mike Tomlin just added another chapter to one of the NFL’s most remarkable coaching runs.
With the Steelers’ 29-24 win over the Detroit Lions, Tomlin secured his 19th consecutive non-losing season - every single year since he took the reins in Pittsburgh back in 2007. That’s not just impressive, it’s historic.
And this time, it wasn’t just a personal milestone. The win also pushed the Steelers into the NFL record books, giving the franchise its 22nd straight season without a losing record - the longest such streak in league history.
To put that in perspective, you have to go all the way back to 2003 to find the last time Pittsburgh finished below .500. That 6-10 campaign was rough, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise - it set the stage for the Steelers to draft Ben Roethlisberger, a move that changed the trajectory of the franchise for the next two decades.
From there, it’s been a model of consistency. Roethlisberger and the Steelers not only brought home two Super Bowl titles, but they never dipped into losing territory during his entire career. And since Big Ben’s retirement in 2021, Tomlin has kept the standard alive - no small feat in an era where quarterback turnover often spells trouble.
With Sunday’s win, the Steelers passed the legendary Tom Landry’s Dallas Cowboys teams of 1965 to 1985 for the longest stretch of non-losing seasons in NFL history. That Cowboys run was the gold standard for decades, but now, it’s Pittsburgh sitting atop that mountain.
Tomlin’s own streak - 19 straight seasons without a losing record to start his head coaching career - is already an NFL record. No coach has ever begun their tenure with that kind of sustained success.
But he’s not done yet. Landry still holds the overall record for most consecutive non-losing seasons at 21.
Tomlin is within striking distance. Two more years at .500 or better would tie it.
Three would make it his alone.
He’s currently tied with Bill Belichick for second on that all-time list at 19, though Belichick’s run came with Tom Brady under center for most of it. Tomlin’s done it through multiple quarterback transitions, roster overhauls, and a changing league landscape - and he’s done it without ever hitting the reset button.
Since 1972, the Steelers have had just seven losing seasons total. That’s over five decades of staying competitive - and five of those seasons ended at exactly .500. Four of those came with Tomlin in charge, further underlining just how high the floor has been during his tenure.
In a league built on parity, where fortunes rise and fall in the blink of an eye, what Tomlin and the Steelers are doing is nothing short of remarkable. The streak continues - and if history is any indicator, it’s not ending anytime soon.