Steelers Now
During an experience on The Rich Eisen Show on Wednesday, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin explained his chest-beating blow-a-kiss celebration after Sunday night’s win over the Baltimore Ravens.
It turns out, it came from MMA fighter Derrick Lewis. It’s not the first time that Tomlin has blown a kiss toward the camera after a win, but the beating of the chest was something that was new.
“That’s a tip of the cap to one of my favorite MMA competitors Derrick Lewis. That’s his celebration,” Tomlin told Eisen. “I got so much respect for that human and how he goes about his business.”
HOW ABOUT THIS: Mike Tomlin explains his chest-beating blow-a-kiss post-game celebration vs Ravens. It’s an homage to MMA Fighter Derrick Lewis. I have no idea who that is. pic.twitter.com/cxI3oe0Job
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) January 7, 2026
To say the least, Sunday night’s game was an instant classic. Tyler Loop’s 44-yard missed field goal will live forever in Steelers-Ravens lore.
Tomlin and John Harbaugh have had a fierce rivalry over the last 18 years. Harbaugh’s time with Baltimore has come to an end, however. The Ravens parted ways with Harbaugh on Tuesday.
Tomlin reacted to the news for the first time publicly on Wednesday. Speaking during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Tomlin reflected on his years of battles with Harbaugh and the state of the industry that frequently replaces its top coaches.
“First, I just have so much respect for Harbs,” Tomlin said. “Our stories will forever be interwoven. This rivalry that we’ve been fortunate and honored enough to be a part of, I’ve just got so much respect for him and how he’s gone his business. We’ve certainly had some legendary battles over the years.”
It’s unlikely that Tomlin will ever have that kind of rivalry with another coach in his tenure — and it may never happen again, as the average length of NFL head coaching tenures continues to fall.
“In terms of him being let go, unfortunately, I think it’s just a component of today’s sport culture,” Tomlin said. “And so, there have been many examples of that. It’s unfortunate, but I’m sure that he’s going to move on, and if he chooses to coach again, I’m sure he will and I’m sure he’ll be very successful at doing so. But more than anything, I just think it’s a larger example of today’s sport culture in terms of not a lot of patience in the entertainment component of what it is that we do. There’s just not a longevity. I’m sure we’d all like to be Don Shula and Tom Landry, but I think those days are gone.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Mike Tomlin Explains Viral Celebration after Win over Ravens
