The Pittsburgh Steelers had a rather successful 19-year run with Mike Tomlin running the locker room. While the team only found a way to win one Super Bowl, there was not a single losing season throughout the legendary head coach's tenure. In a shocking turn of events, he resigned following the completion of the 2025 campaign. Many of Tomlin's teams underachieved; specifically dating back to 2017, as there has not been a playoff win for the franchise since. The offenses were mediocre at best and defenses could not find ways to be consistent.
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stands on the field and watches his team practice during a 2025 training camp workout at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Tomlin has always been known as a defensive-minded head coach, but it was always tough for fans to get a grasp on if it were him or his coordinators making the calls. A lot will come to the surface about this now that he is gone and Patrick Graham is set to take over the unit. If they thrive, Tomlin is going to receive a ton of criticism as he sits in the Football Night in America studio.
Teryl Austin was the defensive coordinator for the Steelers from 2022 to 2025 and caught a ton of heat for not getting the most out of his group. Now, a new firsthand recollection of how things were run sheds a much more negative light on Tomlin.
Cornerback Darius Slay didn't even make it a full year in the Steel City. He was not performing all that well and ended up being sent to waivers in early December. On the latest edition of his Big Play Slay podcast, he ripped into the Steelers' defensive strategy, but fully exonerated Slay of any wrongdoing in the process. It essentially pointed every finger at Tomlin.
"I ain't gonna lie to you, that Pittsburgh stuff, that was rough for my dog [Jalen Ramsey] because that sh*t's backwards over there," Slay said. "That ain't [Teryl Austin] sh*t. TA ain't teach none of that sh*t in fuc*ing Detroit. They was outside leverage on every fuc*king call. That's why you see, whenever Ramsey got scored on, he's chasing someone that's running away from outside leverage."
This seems to be almost a direct shot at how Tomlin was running things regarding the Steelers defense. Slay refused to blame the actual defensive coordinator, hinting at the fact that the head coach was the one forcing a strategy that some may view as backwards.
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Former Steelers cornerback Darius Slay jogs on the field alongside James Pierre as the cornerbacks warm up during a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Slay really dove into the philosophy that Tomlin had. Basically, the Steelers believed the big men up front would make it impossible for quarterbacks to throw the ball over the middle of the field.
"It's crazy. Them guys make plays. Don't get me wrong. This is what these [coaches] were telling me, 'You play outside leverage, and if they catch a ball inside, it's on the [defensive] line because they're so good at batting the ball down.' I'm not banking on that. That's the only thing I did not like about the defense. Everything was outside leverage in the red zone. That sh*t was weird as fu*k. I never played that sh*t."
Slay noting that he did not like to fall in line with this philosophy could be one of the reasons he was eventually released from the team. He wasn't having a phenomenal season at all, but this sheds a new light into what could have gone wrong for him in the Steel City. The defender simply didn't believe in what the scheme was, particularly in the red zone.
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin roams the practice field as his team works out during a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Steelers Should Have A Fresh Approach On Defense
While Pittsburgh won't change up everything on the defensive side of the ball, it will be fascinating to see how Graham works with a very talented unit. The veterans on the team that have been around are extremely familiar with Tomlin's schematics. Now, things could change, and based on just how bad Slay thinks it is, the newfound way of doing things could actually be beneficial.
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