Mike Tomlin’s resignation came as a shock to many, including almost everybody in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ locker room. By all accounts it was a scene of complete disbelief. The noise about his future was always there at the end of seasons, but he had always shut that out until this point. According to at least one player, he may not have been totally ready to walk away.
“I’m forever definitely grateful for Coach T. and it was definitely just sad how it ended,” Heyward said via his brother’s Not Just Football podcast. “I don’t think he wanted to be done, but he didn’t want it to be one of those situations where he was fired and it could have got really crazy. I think he kind of just was like, it was my time.”
Art Rooney II and Omar Khan were prepared to continue with Tomlin into 2026. His job wasn’t in jeopardy this year, but there was a growing sense that something had to eventually change. And with a 2027 option year baked into his contract to be exercised (or not) in March, next offseason could have been a natural stopping point. One more disappointing season and the outside noise would have grown to a new high. It had already grown pretty deafening.
At a certain point the fan base’s disdain for Tomlin was starting to affect the team. It’s hard not to get demoralized when fans are booing the home team or actively chanting to “Fire Tomlin” on national television.
Instead of suffering through what could have been an even uglier end, Tomlin got ahead of it and went out on his own terms.
What Tomlin actually told his players and coaches in his final team meeting has been kept private, but perhaps what was said gave Heyward reason to believe he didn’t want to be done.
According to those around him, the decision had a lot to do with spending more time with family. He already seems to be doing that having been spotted at his daughter’s Georgia gymnastics meets multiple times.
But it’s also clear Tomlin won’t be able to stay away forever. He has reportedly secured representation for a potential sports media gig. And several of his contemporaries have taken the same path through the media only to wind up back in the head coaching headset just a year or two later.
If Heyward is right and Tomlin wasn’t fully ready to be done, then we will almost assuredly see him back on the football field someday soon. His split from Pittsburgh was a necessary transition for both sides.
Recommended for you