Mike Tomlin took one major move among many this offseason. He released Justin Fields. Later, Najee Harris also caught a bus from Steel City, finally on Monday. The 27-year-old ex-Pittsburgh Steelers RB hit the free-agent market before signing with the Los Angeles Chargers. Harris, via Next Gen Stats, “remained a tough runner to bring down in 2024, forcing 70 missed tackles (12th-most in NFL).”

In addition, since 2021, the athlete has “forced the 3rd-most missed tackles in the NFL (285),” after Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs (each tied up at 334).

But now, the Chargers have acquired Harris for a one-year deal. Per reports, he is now set to earn around $9.25 million, with a signing bonus of $3.75 million and a fully guaranteed base salary of $1.5 million.

The man’s earned his paycheck!

Najee Harris has finally gotten what he wanted, at least for now. But what about Mike Tomlin? He’s still searching for a replacement for the piece he lost. And guess what? He might have found one!

According to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz on X, “With Najee Harris headed to the Chargers, Kenneth Gainwell will immediately step in and play a key role in the #Steelers’ backfield — alongside Jaylen Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson.” Mike Tomlin and his franchise “are finalizing a 1-year with former #Eagles RB Kenneth Gainwell.”

Kenneth Gainwell had hit the free agency market this year after his rookie contract expired. But now, during the negotiation days with unrestricted free agents, Mike Tomlin and the Steelers came forward to offer Gainwell a deal. With this, Gainwell joined a list of players who departed during the legal tampering period – Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, and Isaiah Rodgers.

Undoubtedly, Mike Tomlin and Pittsburgh required a key running back after Najee Harris’s exit. And so, Gainwell can be a perfect fit for the team – thanks to him for maintaining a second-string role for one of the league’s best rushing attacks. The proof? It’s his stats!

The 25-year-old had recorded 1,906 total yards and 13 TDs in four years with the Eagles. In addition, he holds a career 4.2-yard average and had 75 carries and 290 rushing yards last season, proving he’s more than efficient. Now, with the RB and their latest move, DK Metcalf, these players are coming in as Christmas presents for the Steel City.

But the major problem lies visible for all (perhaps invisible for Tomlin & team).

A reality check for Mike Tomlin and the Steelers!

The Steelers are perhaps the only team that doesn’t have a signed QB. And it seems Mike Tomlin will move ahead in the season with an alternative as the placekicker Chris Boswell proposed. Day by day, it’s getting late, and till now, the Steelers haven’t been able to find a reliable QB for their future.

They released Justin Fields and be over with Russell Wilson. So, who’s next? Perhaps Tomlin has other plans to draft a new QB if not a veteran. But this broiling tension has made many frustrated, including Stephen A. Smith.

On ESPN’s First Take, host Smith took a jab at Mike Tomlin and the Steelers’s QB situation. He compared the latest scene with the Browns’s surprising move of Myles Garrett and said, “I don’t disagree with y’all about the Cleveland Browns, but I think the Steelers’ situation is just as cumbersome to say the least.”

Not only that! The TV host handed a reality check to the franchise and their HC by saying, “Mike Tomlin won a Super Bowl in 2008. They lost in 2010, ain’t been back to the Super Bowl since. Fine, no problem. But to not have won a [playoff game] since 2016? To having five straight years of being one-and-done, and it’s been nine years since you won a playoff game. These are the Steelers we’re talking about here. One of the most storied franchises in NFL history.”

A passionate rant by a man who got into a tiff with LeBron James recently.

With acquiring quarterbacks every offseason and not giving them the chance to grow further, the Steelers might be not confident of what they want. But many think they would draft a QB who can help them achieve their goals. However, that too seems unrealistic. Why?

Well, Smith explained it – “We really also have to debate what level of mediocrity we want to embrace. Because when you’re middle of the road, you can’t really get a high-end draft pick because you’re not stinking up the joint. And obviously, you ain’t winning championships, so what difference does it make?”

The blame is all on Mike Tomlin. And sometimes, leaving the podium or press conferences in between doesn’t give the answer that the team wants.