Pittsburgh Steelers fans were very vocal in expressing their displeasure with the team during Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, and head coach Mike Tomlin does not fault them for that.
The Steelers fell to 6-6 on the season with their 26-7 Week 13 loss to the Bills at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa. Tomlin’s team led 7-3 at halftime, but it was all downhill from there.
Aaron Rodgers was strip-sacked by Joey Bosa on Pittsburgh’s first offensive play of the second half, and the Bills returned the fumble for a touchdown. Rodgers, who was already playing with a fractured left wrist, was left bleeding on the play.
During his media availability on Tuesday, Tomlin was asked about the Steelers being booed by their own fans. The longtime coach said he understands and respects the reaction.
“Football is our game. We are in the sport of entertainment business,” Tomlin said. “If you root for the Steelers, entertaining (the fans) is winning. So when you’re not winning, it’s not entertaining.”
Mike Tomlin says he understands and respects the booing fans:
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) December 2, 2025
"Football is our game, we are in the sport of entertainment business."
"If you root for the Steelers, entertaining them is winning. So when you're not winning, it's not entertaining."
Some fans even chanted for Tomlin to be fired as the Bills were taking it to the Steelers. Tomlin had a similar reaction when asked about that on Sunday.
Tomlin has been the head coach in Pittsburgh since 2007 and is the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL. While the Steelers have consistently been relevant and never had a losing season under Tomlin, they also have not won a playoff game in nearly a decade. That has left the 53-year-old facing some unfamiliar pressure.
Tomlin has shown some uncharacteristic signs of frustration this season, so it is hardly a surprise that he does not want to call out Steelers fans for doing the same.
