Ups and downs: The Steelers offense finished the regular season ranked No. 23 overall in the NFL, 11th in the run game and 27th in the passing game.
It was Arthur Smith's first year as the team's offensive coordinator, and Tomlin said it was a mix of good and bad as to what was produced on the field.
"I thought we had a good experience in a lot of areas," said Tomlin of Smith's first season. "Certainly, the fact that we're talking here today is reflective of it's not always been good. That could be any component of this thing.
"We're so interdependent in this business, that's why it's the ultimate team game. I get asked often how Russell (Wilson) performed or how Arthur performed or how the defense performed, and those lines get blurred because of the interdependency in this game, and that's just a component of it.
"Certainly, there's impact from outside forces on evaluations, but that's why what we're doing right now is so significant. We've got to comb through it and get to the guts of the matters, and so that's why the exit interviews and the analysis of what transpired is so important, because I need to have a better understanding of evaluation components such as that. Because from my perspective and particularly as you stand here at the end of it, we win together, we lose together and there are complexities in all those discussions."
Wilson finished the season completing 214 passes for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions after missing the first six games of the season with a calf injury. Tomlin said the relationship between Smith and Wilson worked well, as both of them had no problem putting in the hours to get things right.
"I thought it was pretty good and fluid," said Tomlin. "I know they do an awesome job of spending time together and communicating formally and informally. We're not paid by the hour in this business, and I think their willingness to work and work together is kind of a reflection of that sentiment."
Who will be QB1: The Steelers quarterback room took on a completely different look in 2025, with the additions of Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Kyle Allen.
With all three of them only under contract for one season, something will need to be done at the position.
Coach Mike Tomlin said that is something that will be a topic of conversation with himself and General Manager Omar Khan this week.
"We don't have a quarterback under contract and so we've got some major discussions there," said Tomlin, who made the comment before the team signed quarterback Skylar Thompson to a Reserve/Future contract on Tuesday.
Fields started the first six games of the season, leading the Steelers to a 4-2 record. With uncertainty at the position, Tomlin was asked if Fields showed enough during that time to enter the 2025 season in the 'pole position' to be the starter.
His answer was direct.
"Certainly," said Tomlin.
Tomlin went on to say Fields took the right steps in 2024 to show that he is capable of the job.
"I thought the way that he managed his professional circumstance was really impressive," said Tomlin. "I thought he brought an urgency in his day-to-day work regardless of his role. I thought he got continually better within our system of ball throughout the process.
"I thought the way he conducted himself makes that a legitimate thought or idea at this juncture."
Addressing all issues: The Steelers dealt with their share of injuries during the 2024 season, and Wilson's calf injury was just one of many soft tissue injuries that reared its ugly head.
Receivers George Pickens missed time with a hamstring injury, as did safety DeShon Elliott and linebacker Nick Herbig to name a few.
It's something Tomlin wants to not just only look into, but change the trajectory in 2025.
"We experienced a rash of soft tissue injuries that was impactful," said Tomlin. "That's just an example of many of the things and subjects that we have covered and will continue to cover as we assess what transpired and quickly transition ourselves and bill for the future at the same time."
Getting in line: Injuries also hit the Steelers offensive line hard this year, but despite what they were dealing with, they never lost a step early on.
Running back Najee Harris even had a string of three 100 plus yard games from Week 6-8.
As the season wore on, though, the ground game struggled to get going, and Tomlin was asked what happened with the line as things wore on.
"Certainly, it didn't end the way we would like as a collective," said Tomlin. "We absorbed a lot of attrition during the course of the journey. We ended up playing a lot of young people. They responded in a real positive way, but maybe they got fatigued, mentally and physically.
"Those are things that we're unearthing as we begin this information-gathering process. I haven't had a lot of individual meetings to this point. Those are some hardcore questions that I have to unearth, and we'll see where it leads us in terms of ascertaining the reasons why."
