Mike Tomlin’s NFL future and the head coaching position of the Pittsburgh Steelers have been the subject of much conjecture over the last few years.

The Steelers have been to the NFL playoffs every year since Tomlin took over, but despite his consistent success, the team’s chances of winning another Super Bowl in the near future have been diminished due to his struggles in the postseason.

With the Steelers having a terrible season and a dearth of offensive production, many people thought Pittsburgh would not make it to the postseason.

Although the Steelers didn’t really threaten the Buffalo Bills in the opening round of the playoffs—especially when playing on the road without star T.J. Watt, who was recovering from a knee injury—they were fortunately headed back to the postseason.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Christopher Carter asked Watt to weigh in on Tomlin’s future after the team’s loss to the Bills. Watt declined to comment, but he did provide his two cents by offering the veteran coach a strong recommendation.

For Mike T., I would like to play. Watt stated, “It was very important to me during my contract negotiations that I want to play for Mike T alone.”

About Tomlin’s future with the Steelers, TJ Watt responded as follows:

For Mike T., I would like to play. My desire to play exclusively for Mike T. was a major selling point throughout our contract negotiations. As a coach, man, and leader, you can tell how much I admire and respect him by the way I speak about it.

because speaks highly of Tomlin’s long-term future with the team because Watt obviously has a great deal of regard for him.

Though Tomlin has a history of making the playoffs each year, the team has not been successful in the postseason, and it is unclear how long the organization will tolerate that. Things may rapidly change if the results are not there.