When the Pittsburgh Steelers kicked off their offseason program this week, everybody felt a noticeable absence within the constructing. Mike Tomlin. He is not the Steelers’ head coach. That is why the presence of a brand new teaching employees in Pittsburgh is an enormous motive why it’s one of many 10 groups to start its offseason program early. But Tomlin? What’s he as much as whereas his former group is busy with the offseason program?
Since stepping down, Tomlin has remained completely out of the general public eye, providing no appearances, no readability on his teaching future, and no indication of his plans for 2026. It is a state of affairs that has drawn consideration, and Dan Le Batard is questioning it.
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“Could you guys have imagined a situation the place I inform you, ‘A guy who has won for 20 straight years — had winning seasons at the top of one of the most majestic franchises to be found anywhere in American sports — quits,” Le Batard said on Wednesday. “Vanishes without an explanation. Never gets a goodbye or a press conference, and we still haven’t heard from him. Does anybody not suppose that’s bizarre? An actual icon title within the sport says goodbye with out ever saying goodbye. Nobody hears something from him, and simply gone.”
From a surface-level perspective, the response is comprehensible. Tomlin led the Steelers for 19 seasons, delivered a Super Bowl, and by no means recorded a shedding season. Yet when the time got here to step away, there was no formal press convention and no direct public farewell to the Pittsburgh neighborhood. That absence is what Le Batard continues to query.
“I’m sure Mike Tomlin has a relationship with that community,” he added. “Does he have any responsibility to explain anything to anyone or does he have so much power that he can just vanish quietly and no one has any reaction to it even being weird and I’m not even saying it critically. I’m just looking at it and saying man that’s unusual.”
These feedback surfaced a few months after Tomlin stepped down, ending a tenure that produced a 193-114-2 common season report, tying Chuck Noll. Given that resume, the expectation of a extra seen exit shouldn’t be unreasonable. At the identical time, it’s truthful to query if such a gesture is required.
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From a structural standpoint, there isn’t a obligation. Coaching contracts don’t require public exits, and traditionally, not each head coach delivers a proper goodbye. Whether Tomlin wanted to deal with the fanbase is extra subjective than procedural.
It turns into extra related when wanting on the closing part of his tenure. The NFL world nonetheless remembers when the Buffalo Bills got here to Acrisure Stadium in Week 13, gained 26-7, and the house crowd was chanting “Fire Tomlin”. That second mirrored a rising disconnect between outcomes and expectations.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Jets Sep 7, 2025 East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin seems to be on earlier than the sport in opposition to the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. East Rutherford MetLife Stadium New Jersey USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xVincentxCarchiettax 20250907_kdn_cb6_117
Despite sustaining a streak of non-losing seasons, postseason outcomes grew to become a constant level of criticism. The Steelers have exited within the first spherical for 9 consecutive years, with their final playoff win coming in 2016 in opposition to the Kansas City Chiefs.
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That pattern continued earlier this yr when the Houston Texans defeated Pittsburgh 30-6 within the Wild Card spherical. At that stage, the thought of a transition had already gained traction. Notably, the Steelers will not be a company that often modifications head coaches, which makes Tomlin’s choice to step down extra vital.
In sensible phrases, the result aligns with a number of views. A bit of the fanbase had been calling for change, and Tomlin, after almost 20 years, seems to have stepped away on his personal phrases. In that sense, either side reached a pure conclusion.
The remaining variable is his absence from public view. That modified barely final month when he appeared at The Ireland Funds Dinner Gala, marking his first public feedback since stepping down.
“It’s often said that we’re not here for a long time, we’re here for a good time — like you have to choose. I think our experience here in Pittsburgh, with the great Steelers organization, exemplifies that. We’ve been here for a long and really good time.”
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Indeed! Tomlin and his spouse, Kiya, spent almost 20 years in Pittsburgh, which reinforces the depth of that connection. Unless he returns to teaching or takes on another public role, his restricted visibility is prone to proceed, whilst questions round his quiet exit stay after one more playoff loss.
A sports activities journalist thinks final season’s struggles weren’t on Mike Tomlin
So much has modified this offseason for the Steelers. One factor, nevertheless, stays in line with final yr. The Steelers are nonetheless ready on Aaron Rodgers. And that waiting game continues to boost questions.
Bomani Jones, for one, shouldn’t be satisfied that Rodgers is the answer. While addressing the state of affairs, he went a step additional and revisited the criticism surrounding Mike Tomlin.
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“Aaron Rodgers could never be the answer,” Jones mentioned. “Aaron Rodgers last year wasn’t good enough. There’s no reason to assume he’ll be as good next year as he was last year. That’s just not how things work. So why are we, like, why in the world are you doing this? Why weren’t you the ones to get Malik Willis, or something?
“I just can’t imagine how they got themselves stuck in this place that they’re in. And, by the way, which makes me look at Mike Tomlin, and be like, ‘Okay, maybe it wasn’t on you.’”
Analytically, the priority stems from his age and efficiency projection. Rodgers is ready to show 43 through the 2026 season, and anticipating an upward trajectory at that stage shouldn’t be an ordinary consequence. So even when the Steelers land him, it doesn’t mechanically translate into short-term success.
That context reframes final season’s criticism of Tomlin. While there have been authentic considerations tied to outcomes, the present offseason route raises a unique query. The franchise remains to be ready for Rodgers, whereas the criticism round not specializing in younger sign callers persists. If the roster development and quarterback method stay unsure, then the problems might prolong past teaching, which is strictly the purpose Jones is making.
