PITTSBURGH -- A missed call that may have kept the Pittsburgh Steelers out of the playoffs didn't leave coach Mike Tomlin bemoaning what could have been.

But Tomlin said the NFL needs to take a hard look at officiating during the offseason and consider measures to improve it, including making referees full-time employees of the league.

Tomlin is a member of the NFL competition committee, which considers and proposes rules changes or new rules every year to improve the quality of play and make the game safer.

"Obviously, there's a lot of work [to do] from an officiating standpoint," Tomlin said Monday during his season-ending news conference. "I think it's been well-documented in the last several weeks, not only in stadiums we've played in, but others [too].

"I always want to be someone that's part of the solution as opposed to someone that's complaining and moaning about the problem. I intend to roll my sleeves up and offer any insight I can in making [the league] the very best it can be moving forward."

Tomlin was asked whether he thought referees should be full-time employees.

"I think that and other things are up for discussion," Tomlin said.

The Steelers would have secured the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoffs had Kansas City Chiefs kicker Ryan Succop made a 41-yard field goal at the end of regulation Sunday against the San Diego Chargers.

Succop missed the kick by mere inches, but the Chargers should have been penalized for having seven players on one side of the snapper, a 5-yard penalty that would have given Succop a second chance, this time from 36 yards. The Chargers kicked a field goal in overtime to win 27-24 and claim the last remaining spot in the AFC playoffs.