Mike Tomlin Has Dozens Of Former Steelers Come Together In Fascinating Display Of Loyalty

The Pittsburgh Steelers received the news that former head coach Mike Tomlin was stepping away from coaching less than 24 hours after their 30-6 Divisional Round playoff lost at the hands of Houston Texans in January. The loss was the final nail in the coffin to the Tomlin tenure in Pittsburgh where the relationship had gone south in 2025, and very quickly. From chants of "Fire Tomlin" during the Steelers' Week 13 home loss to the Buffalo Bills to another first-round exit, many fans were thrilled with Tomlin's announcement. One former Steeler, however, delivered news of an endorsement of the former Steelers coach.

Former Steelers wide receiver Nate Washington made some noteworthy comments about Tomlin's impact on players Monday on the Bullseye View podcast. Washington's comments seem to echo the sentiment similar to the fallout of the chants heard at the Steelers' home game in Week 13 of the 2025 season. Where fans had grown disgruntled with Tomlin, players came to his side and defended him. 

"I'll say this about Mike. We literally just had a Zoom call with Mike T with over 70 people on the Zoom call just to say thank you to Mike T," Washington said. "All individually. We sat on that phone for two hours, almost. That's the type of, not only culture the Steelers have, but the man Mike T was. He touched a lot of lives. Not just young guys, but older guys as well. He's a very inspirational person."

Washington's comments should not come as a surprise to anyone, as Tomlin was very well-known for getting the most out of his rosters, even if they were mediocre. In Tomlin's final season, he was able to orchestrate a division title with a 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. The consistent shortcomings of Tomlin in the playoffs is what ultimately drove Steelers fans to near insanity and they became fed up enough that they wanted change on the sidelines in Pittsburgh.

Another thing Tomlin was well-known for was his relationship with the players on his team. Tomlin was often referred to a player's coach during his 19-year tenure in Pittsburgh with the Steelers. That style of coaching and leadership is a great testament to Tomlin, but it also was another part of his downfall. Tomlin oversaw the careers of wide receivers Antonio Brown, Chase Claypool, and George Pickens. All had one thing in common and that was that they seemed to have a long leash with Tomlin until the Steelers eventually decided to move on from them.

Steelers' Culture Must Remain Similar While Also Evolving Under New Regime

One thing that Washington referred to is the type of culture that the Steelers have. Washington hit the nail on the head in that regard, as the Steelers organization and fan base, is one that is very passionate as well as loyal. Those types of characteristics surrounding the Steelers must remain in tact with the Steelers under new head coach Mike McCarthy, but their culture must also evolve.

While loyalty and passion are great characters in humans, and also good traits of a successful organization, McCarthy must elevate that culture. The Steelers' fan base is starving for a playoff win, something they have been without for nine years now. If McCarthy is going to quickly win over the fan base, he will have to get the Steelers over that seemingly insurmountable hump. However, McCarthy must command accountability in the locker room in order to do so.

Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger recently mentioned the standard in which former head coach Bill Cowher held his players to. While Cowher's coaching style is largely outdated, as he has not coached in over two decades, a similar culture would be greatly beneficial to success for McCarthy in his inaugural season in the Steel City. While Tomlin underwhelmed as of late with the team's results on the field, McCarthy will have some big shoes to fill in his locker room as he takes over for Tomlin in 2026.

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