Steelers Fans Now Know Exactly When Mike Tomlin Decided To Step Away From The Organization

The Pittsburgh Steelers are going through some major changes as an organization as Mike McCarthy will be the new head coach of the franchise in 2026. This comes after a thorough coaching search following Mike Tomlin letting the organization know that he would be stepping down as the head coach of the Steelers. He told the organization and his team this news the day after Pittsburgh was eliminated from the playoffs by the Houston Texans, which is a small sign that he had already had his mind made up on the matter long before the season came to a close.

Tomlin's career ended with a streak of seasons where Pittsburgh had no success in the postseason. He kept his team competitive during the regular season, but the team has not advanced in the playoffs since the 2016 campaign. The consistent mediocrity drove a lot of fans mad, and fans would call for Tomlin's job more and more as the years went by. The head coach did not have to be fired because he already knew he was going to step down as the head coach. 

NFL insider and friend of Tomlin, Jay Glazer, joined Nightcap on Wednesday where he shared some of the backstory of Tomlin deciding to be done with coaching.

"I think he's done," Glazer said. "He told me and Ronde Barber two years ago. He was like, 'Hey this is my plan. You can't say this. Don't show my hand. I'm telling you, you're my guy!' Last year, I thought he was gonna hang it up. He decided one more. I thought he was gonna be done, so until it happens, it happens. But this year, kind of Week 8, I'm like, 'Hey man, anybody that's gonna change your mind? Nope.' Okay, I said, 'Can I report it the last week? Nope.'"

It is hard to imagine that Tomlin would return to coaching in the NFL, and Glazer's comments seem to reflect that he would not entertain another coaching opportunity. That means Pittsburgh probably won't have the chance to trade his rights. Tomlin will enjoy retirement for now, but a career in media does seem possible.

Ronde Barber has said before that Tomlin told him he might be retiring following the 2025 season, but Glazer seems to state that the coach was considering it going into the 2024 season. 2024 was initially going to be the final season on Tomlin's contract, but he signed an extension during the 2024 offseason. That allowed him to continue coaching in 2025, and call it quits whenever he felt it was necessary. Glazer also gave Tomlin's reasoning for not allowing Glazer or anyone else to report the news that he would be retiring.

"But in fairness, he said, 'I don't think it's fair if my players find out from you,'" Glazer said.

This makes complete sense. Tomlin has always been the ultimate players coach, and he wouldn't want his team finding out major news like this from anyone besides himself. He went out on his own terms, which is what he deserved after serving as the head coach of the Steelers for 19 seasons and delivering a Lombardi Trophy to Pittsburgh.

Steelers' Tough Pair Of Losses Might Have Sealed The Deal For Mike Tomlin

Pittsburgh was riding high after the start to the season. The group was 4-1 through five games, the rest of the division was struggling, and the typical powerhouses in the AFC looked beatable. Tomlin was probably riding high, but then came Week 7 and 8. Pittsburgh lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7 as the defense could not stop anything, and then the group was embarrassing in a loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 8, specifically in the second half of the contest. This led to a ton of Tomlin negativity, and that could have sealed the deal for the head coach as things got difficult again.

What do you think about these remarks from Glazer? Let us know in the comments below!

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