Steel City Blitz
Hey Steelers Fans. Welcome to Wednesday.
It’s been really interesting – and often not surprising – to see some of the reactions around Steeler Nation and the national media in regards to Mike Tomlin stepping down. Some celebrated it with the same enthusiasm they had when they won their fantasy league title while others took a much more measured response. I found some to be almost offended that Tomlin had stepped down. They immediately placed blame on fans.
First of all, who is “you people?” Secondly, why does every other team get to move on from coaches who don’t produce in the postseason yet somehow the Steelers aren’t allowed to?
Talk about an awful take…
And then there’s this guy.
I threw together another episode of our short-form podcast “The Inside Blitz” last night. I essentially touched on a lot of the surface issues of Mike Tomlin stepping aside. The SCB Steelers Podcast on Thursday at 10pmET will be much more of a deep dive.
It has already been reported several times that Tomlin will not coach in 2026. Most believe he would be an excellent television personality and that he could very well go on to do what Bill Cowher has done. I see it a bit differently. Tomlin is a grinder. He’s a football lifer that loves everything that goes into being a coach. I think he coaches again but who knows?
There’s already been lots of chatter about how this could affect guys like Cam Heyward or T.J. Watt or even Aaron Rodgers and the decision he faces. I would suggest we go back to a very famous phrase from Mike Tomlin himself; “Volunteers not Hostages.” Tomlin had no problem releasing players who didn’t want to be there. While he may be gone, that mantra still applies. I don’t see the front office standing in the way of anyone seeking a trade or a release. No one is bigger than the franchise.
If we look at the very limited past history, the Steelers have been very specific when they look for a head coach. Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin were all defensive coordinators before becoming the Steelers’ head coach. They also had experience coaching other areas like defensive backs, special teams or linebackers. All three were also in their 30’s at the time of their hiring. Noll was 37, while neither Cowher nor Tomlin had hit 35 years of age yet. With those things in mind, it would seem to narrow their list (assuming they follow the same pattern) quite a bit.
Chris Shula – Currently the DC for the LA Rams is 39. He has several interviews already scheduled with other teams.
Brian Flores – Currently DC for MN is 44. Time in New England speaks for itself. Had a year in PIT so he’s a known commodity.
Jesse Minter – Currently the DC for...
