What's at stake in Steelers-Ravens showdown, including the futures of Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh
A division title and playoff berth isn't the only thing that's on the line
By
Bryan DeArdo
•
8 min read
"Welcome to AFC North championship week, as I like to refer to it."
Mike Tomlin kicked off his weekly presser with a somewhat light-hearted reference to what's at stake when the Steelers and Ravens face off Sunday night in what will be the final game of the 2025 regular season.
Pittsburgh (9-6) will host Baltimore (8-8) in a game that will determine which team wins the AFC North and the playoff spot that comes with it, and which team will be going home for the winter.
Turbulent would be an adequate way to sum up how both the Steelers and Ravens' seasons have gone so far. The Ravens started 1-5 before winning five straight and temporarily leapfrogging Pittsburgh in the division standings. A 1-3 late-season slide (including a Week 14 loss to Pittsburgh), however, left the Ravens on the brink of elimination entering Week 17.
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Baltimore needed a win in Green Bay last Saturday night, and a Steelers loss in Cleveland the following Sunday, in order to force a winner-take-all Week 18 showdown with rival Pittsburgh, who entered last weekend with three straight wins following a 6-6 start.
The Ravens did their part by recording a convincing 41-24 win over the Packers that included 216 yards and four touchdowns on the ground by superstar running back Derrick Henry. Baltimore then watched with glee the following day as Aaron Rodgers struggled throughout Pittsburgh's eventual 13-6 loss to the lowly Browns that prevented the Steelers of capturing their first division crown in five years.
Sunday's game is obviously big, but not solely because of its playoff implications. Here's what also might be at stake when the Steelers and Ravens add another chapter to their compelling rivalry.
Tomlin's future in Pittsburgh
While Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh have enjoyed Hall of Fame caliber careers, both have their share of critics after enduring several seasons that have fallen short of expectations. That has prompted speculation regarding both coaches' futures beyond this season.
The noise was extremely loud regarding Tomlin's future in Pittsburgh after five losses over a seven-game span left his team at 6-6 through 12 games. Tomlin has two years left on his current contract, but the Steelers reportedly have until March 1 to pick up his option for 2027.
Pittsburgh hasn't fired a head coach since 1941, so the thought of Tomlin getting relieved of his duties after this season appears as likely as the Steelers intentionally losing a game in order to prevent someone from breaking a record. You can try to talk it into existence, but reality is still reality.
Barring something shocking, Tomlin will still be the Steelers' coach in 2026. A loss on Sunday night, however, could impact his status beyond next season.
A loss on Sunday night would secure Pittsburgh's ninth straight season without a playoff win, the franchise's longest drought without a playoff win since it captured its first postseason win in December of 1972. This would be the Steelers' second season without a playoff win since Tomlin signed his most recent contract extension that was given to him by Art Rooney II with the expectation that Tomlin would "guide the team back to winning playoff games and championships, while continuing our tradition of success."
If Pittsburgh loses Sunday night, Tomlin would in all likelihood have two more chances under his current contract to get the Steelers back to winning playoff games. That is unless his reported option for 2027 isn't picked up.
While Tomlin will most likely be back in 2026, the Steelers will likely make other changes if their season ends on Sunday night.
In terms of the coaching staff, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin might be coaching for his job as his contract is set to expire after this season. From a personnel standpoint, Steelers general manager Omar Khan will have to accept accountability for Pittsburgh's lack of weaponry at receiver -- a weaknesses that was recently heightened by DK Metcalf's suspension -- if the Steelers' season ends at the hands of Baltimore for a second straight year.
The Steelers set out last offseason to build a roster that could defeat a Ravens team that had rushed for 299 yards against them in last January's wild-card round loss. Sunday's game will ultimately show if the Steelers accomplished that goal.
Harbaugh's future in Baltimore
If Tomlin has the best job security of any NFL coach, Harbaugh isn't too far behind him.
Like Tomlin, Harbaugh has won a Super Bowl, a host of division titles and has led his team to the playoffs numerous times. Unlike Tomlin, though, Harbaugh has had playoff success in recent years. The issue has been that Harbaugh hasn't won enough in the postseason despite having a generational talent in quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Harbaugh's teams also lay the occasional egg. While Tomlin has never had a losing season, Harbaugh's Ravens endured a 5-11 season in 2015 and were 8-9 in 2021 after dropping their last five games. This year's Ravens appeared to be destined for another dreadful season after a 1-5 start and losing Jackson for a month due to injury.
Baltimore righted the ship, though, starting with an impressive 30-16 win over the eventual NFC North champion Bears. And despite another recent slide and with Jackson continuing to be hampered by injuries, the Ravens are one win away from officially salvaging their season. A loss, however, will give Harbaugh his third losing season in 11 years while largely overshadowing Baltimore's resilience following its 1-5 start.
Regardless of Sunday's outcome, Harbaugh and his team's resolve this season likely won't be overlooked by Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, who last offseason gave Harbaugh a three-year extension that runs through the 2028 season. Similar to Tomlin in Pittsburgh, it's incredibly far-fetched to think that Baltimore would part with Harbaugh this offseason despite another season that fell short of expectations.
One can expect a higher sense or urgency from Baltimore this offseason, though. Jackson isn't getting any younger, and Henry will turn 32 on Sunday. Expect the Ravens to be more aggressive this offseason in terms of addressing their weaknesses, especially at receiver and pass rusher, in an effort to avoid being in a similar spot next year.
Aaron Rodgers' future in the NFL
While Harbaugh and Tomlin's futures for next year are relatively easy to predict, trying to predict what Rodgers will do next year is anything but.
Based on his presser this week, one thing we know that is that Rodgers hasn't made a decision on whether or not this will be his final NFL season. Because of that, it's safe to assume that how his and the Steelers' season ends will impact his decision.
If the Steelers win, Rodgers will have won his final regular season game while also giving Pittsburgh a division title that came at the expense of Pittsburgh's chief rival in front of a national TV audience.
A playoff win the following week would make Rodgers' first and possibly final season in Pittsburgh a universal success. His role in helping end Pittsburgh's playoff drought would add to his already glittering legacy as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.
Rodgers has a deep knowledge of the NFL and likely understands what it would mean for his legacy to go out like that. While it's not the John Elway exit in Denver (with back-to-back Super Bowl wins and a Super Bowl MVP in his final game), it's certainly wouldn't be a bad way to close out a career.
A loss on Sunday, however, would make Rodgers' 2025 season somewhat incomplete. While he had his moments and helped the Steelers set the NFL record for most consecutive non-losing seasons, a loss on Sunday would mimic how his career with the Packers ended after Green Bay lost at home to the visiting Lions in Week 18 of the 2022 season. That loss knocked the Packers out of postseason contention while unceremoniously ending Rodgers' memorable 18-year run in Green Bay.
Does Rodgers want to end his career in a similar fashion? While there are certainly worse ways to end a career, it could compel Rodgers to come back for one more shot at ending his career on a good note.
At 42, though, and coming off a good but not great season, would Rodgers have many viable options should he choose to come back?
"I mean, not a lot of options, but there'll be options, I would think maybe one or two if I decide I still want to play," Rodgers said with a laugh earlier this week.
It's safe to assume that the Steelers would elect to run it back with Rodgers in 2026 should he choose to return. Tomlin has made it known that he has enjoyed his season with Rodgers, and next year's quarterback draft class isn't oozing with talent, anyway.
A loss on Sunday could change the trajectory of the offseason for the Steelers, however. Pittsburgh was reportedly interested in bringing back Russell Wilson last season before the wheels came off. If the Steelers lose to Baltimore, it could compel them to make seismic changes to the roster for a second straight offseason. All that being said, it would likely take an absolute dreadful performance from Rodgers on Sunday for the Steelers to not consider bringing him back in 2026 if he expresses interest in playing.
There's also the prospect of Rodgers deciding to get out while he is still playing relatively well. He knows first-hand what it looks to stick around a year or two too long after witnessing his former teammate, Brett Favre, endure a forgettable final season with the Vikings that included his NFL record of 297 consecutive starts coming to an end. Rodgers struggled against the Browns last week, and another bad game may be enough to convince him that enough is enough.
Regardless, rest assured that Sunday's game will impact Rodgers' future in the NFL. Given the stakes of this game, it's possible for it not to.
