Sportsnaut
Mike Tomlin’s Pittsburgh Steelers thought they had what they needed to compete for a Super Bowl after adding Aaron Rodgers to the mix this past offseason. Yet, through 12 games, the Steelers have actually been much worse than the version that rolled with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields under center.
Last year, they were 9-3 at this point, compared to the 6-6 record Pittsburgh sports have this season. Needless to say, there’s a lot of room for improvement, and some might even suggest that Tomlin’s team is underperforming.
It doesn’t help that a traditionally strong Steelers defense ranks just 20th in points allowed this season. Considering defense is Tomlin’s specialty, maybe critics are right to point the finger at the coaching staff, but it turns out, a former Steelers legend agrees.
Specifically, former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suggested via his ‘Footbahlin’ podcast that perhaps it is time for Pittsburgh to move on from coach Tomlin. He even went so far as to suggest Tomlin might have much better success in college, at a program like Penn State, because he’s such a strong recruiter.
“It’s being talked about around here a lot: Maybe it’s a clean-house time. Maybe it’s time,” Roethlisberger said. “I like Coach Tomlin. I have a lot of respect for Coach Tomlin. But maybe it’s best for him, too. Maybe a fresh start for him is what’s best. Whether that’s in the pros, maybe go be Penn State’s head coach. You know what he would do in Penn State? He would probably go win national championships. Because he’s a great recruiter.”
Wow: Ben Roethlisberger brought up Steelers HC Mike Tomlin as a potential candidate to be Penn State’s next head coach.
“Go be Penn State’s head coach. You know what he would do at Penn State? He’d probably win national championships. Because he’s a great recruiter.”
👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/UZnVDfpBCa
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 3, 2025
While Big Ben believes the Steelers should evaluate their options, he stopped short of saying the team should fire the Super Bowl-winning head coach.
“Here’s what you don’t do: You don’t fire a guy like Coach Tomlin,” Roethlisberger said. “He’s a Hall of Fame head coach, he’s respected. What you do is you come to an understanding and agreement, and it’s like, ‘Hey, listen, I think it’s probably best for both of us.’”
Agreeing to mutually part ways is essentially what the New England Patriots decided to do with Bill Belichick, and perhaps that’s what could happen to coach Tomlin too.
Related: 2025 NFL QB Rankings: Where’s Bryce Young?
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