Many Pittsburgh Steelers fans wanted Mike Tomlin fired at several points during the 2025 NFL season. The noise from the fan base had been growing for years, largely due to Tomlin’s inability to win a playoff game since the 2016 season. Frustration boiled over as expectations for the franchise remained high, and fans increasingly questioned whether the team had plateaued under his leadership. Despite the mounting criticism, Tomlin maintained the respect of the organization, and there was never a serious push from ownership to remove him.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin sits on the sideline before a road game against the Cleveland Browns near the end of the 2025 regular season.
Though his lack of recent playoff success had many questioning his tenure, the Steelers organization made it clear that the only way Tomlin would leave was if he chose to step away himself. His commitment to the team and the culture he had built in Pittsburgh had always earned him a buffer against fan criticism. Players and staff often spoke highly of his leadership, and the franchise recognized that his presence had kept the Steelers competitive, even if they had struggled to advance into the postseason.
Well less than 24 hours after Pittsburgh suffered a humiliating 30-6 loss at home to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, Tomlin called a team meeting. In that meeting, he delivered the news that stunned the locker room: he would be stepping away from coaching the team. The announcement marked the end of an era in Pittsburgh, leaving fans and players alike to reflect on the highs and lows of Tomlin’s tenure and what the future of the franchise would hold. Now the Steelers look onwards as they try and find their next head coach.
One idea that has been floated around, is that Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray and former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator, Kliff Kingsbury could reunite, this time in the Steel City of Pittsburgh.
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Cardinals QB Kyler Murray shakes hands with former Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury during their time together in Arizona.
Kingsbury was brought to the Cardinals after having serious success at the college level at Texas Tech. He remained with the Cardinals until 2022. Despite signing a six-year contract extension earlier that year and having some early success turning around the Cardinals’ offense, Kingsbury was fired after the team posted a 4–13 record that season.
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What’s more notable is that Murray had some legitimate success and consistency when being coached by Kingsbury at the start of his NFL career. There’s a lot to debate about what Murray is or isn’t as an NFL quarterback. However, Steelers fans would be lying to themselves if this idea did not at least pique their interest.
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Cardinals QB Kyler Murray high fives teammates Patrick Peterson while WR Larry Fitzgerald holds his helmet.
Kingsbury knows how to run the modern NFL offense and how to get good coordinators in place, and he has the experience to turn a team around. Couple that with getting Murray back, and the two could potentially finish what they started, this time in the Steel City.
Of course, nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, and both Kingsbury and Murray would be walking into a different kind of pressure in Pittsburgh. The fan base expects results immediately, and the Steelers are looking to reestablish themselves as a contender. Still, the idea of reconnecting a quarterback and coach who once clicked is intriguing.
It would bring energy, a clear vision, and maybe even the spark the Steelers need to compete at the highest level again. There remains a lot of questions that need to be answered after the news of Tomlin stepping down hit on Tuesday.
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