Pittsburgh

Steelers

While Fowler conceded there “is no firm evidence as of now” that Tomlin will walk away from the Steelers head coaching job following the 2025-26 season, a source close to Tomlin “believes stepping away is at least a possibility.” Another source told Fowler Tomlin will return to the team for a 20th season at the helm. Fowlers said Tomlin “would be more intrigued by doing TV than returning to the coaching market, should he leave the Steelers. The source wonders what Tomlin has left to chase as an NFL coach.” The team rallied around Tomlin in December and January when it was clear his job could be on the line without a postseason berth. It’s possible Monday night will be Tomlin’s final game on the Pittsburgh sideline, however.

Metcalf was suspended for two games for throwing a punch at a fan in Week 16 while Perryman was suspended for the same timeframe for repeated player safety violations following a helmet-to-helmet hit on Cowboys WR Ryan Flournoy. Both players were reinstated as their respective teams prepare for the postseason, meaning they are cleared to practice ahead of the Wildcard Round.

Freiermuth did most of his damage on a 31-yard connection with Aaron Rodgers that set up a Kenneth Gainwell touchdown. The 27-year-old has been routinely catching around three passes a game for the majority of the season, and he likely will see a similar amount of targets against the Texans next Monday in the Wild Card Round.

Scantling was wide open for what would have been a 30-plus yard gain, but Aaron Rodgers overthrew the pass. The wideout was able to haul in a decent amount of targets, but the yardage leaves a lot to be desired. MVS will be a secondary option at best for the Wild Card Round bout against the Texans.

The Steelers were getting nothing done offensively until Aaron Rodgers turned back the clock and threw a seed to Thielen for a long gain that set up their first touchdown. The 35-year-old has shown a decent rapport with Aaron Rodgers, and it’d be a surprise if he didn’t see a handful of targets again versus the Texans next week in the Wild Card Round.

Austin was having a quiet game until a blown coverage — blown coverage is an understatement, really as Chidobe Awuzie fell down — allowed him to sneak into the end zone on a connection with Aaron Rodgers to give Pittsburgh a 26-24 lead and ultimately a win/playoff spot. The 26-year-old wideout will cede targets to DK Metcalf in the playoff game against the Texans, but should again see a handful of targets in that contest.

Gainwell was able to run in for a short touchdown that gave Pittsburgh a three point lead. Most of his contribution came in the passing game, however, as Aaron Rodgers dinked and dunked the football to the 26-year-old early and often. Gainwell will likely be featured heavily again next week in the passing game, even with DK Metcalf back in the Wild Card Round against the Texans next Monday.

Warren was solid again in the win for the Steelers, and while there were no massive runs for the 27-year-old, he helped keep the chains moving enough for Pittsburgh to clinch the AFC North. While Kenneth Gainwell got his fair share of touches, it’s worth noting Warren outcarried Gainwell 14-5 in the contest. He should see a similiar amount of touches in the Wild Card Game next Monday, but it’s worth nothing he’ll face one of the toughest defenses in the sport in the Texans.

This was a low-scoring affair for the first three-plus quarters until both offenses caught fire. Rodgers took advantage of a flat-footed corner with under a minute left to fire the game-winning touchdown pass to Calvin Austin, and the Steelers took the AFC North after Tyler Loop’s field goal went wide as time expired. Rodgers has at least one more game left in his career, and he’ll face the vaunted Texans’ defense in the Wild Card Round.

The Rams and Panthers will begin the festivities on Saturday afternoon, followed by the Packers and Bears’ game later that evening. Sunday’s schedule follows the typical kickoff times. The Bills head to Jacksonville for an early bout with the Jaguars before the 49ers take on the Eagles in Philadelphia. Patriots QB Drake Maye will face the Chargers on Sunday Night Football in his first career playoff appearance. The Texans will then face the winner of tonight’s game between the Ravens and Steelers on Monday night.