Behind the Steel Curtain
Tuesday, while still reeling from the latest playoff loss, Steelers fans were treated to a sudden, shocking exit of head coach Mike Tomlin. If you’ve been around these parts long, you know that the pleas for Tomlin to step away or to be let go have been a constant in the comment sections and articles of this website for the past several years. And yet, for every one of those pleas, there was also a chorus of Yinzers reminding us that the Steelers just don’t succumb to the whims of the fanbase.
And somehow, both of those distinct groups were right on Tuesday.
While I personally still have a great deal of respect for what Mike Tomlin has accomplished, and the many happy Steelers memories from my youth he helped create, I think most reasonable and informed people would agree he was given an exceptionally long leash compared to what other coaches tend to have. The Steelers teams of the past decade were never truly as awful as some of the NFL’s perpetual cellar dwellers, but they were never truly great either.
Yet, if the reports coming out of Pittsburgh are to be believed, the Steelers were the ones left surprised by this outcome. Mike Tomlin left because he decided it was time to leave on his terms, not because ownership felt that it was time for a change. Just like many of those bemoaning the constant calls for Tomlin’s job told us it would be. Maybe it wasn’t exactly how they said it would go down, but they were ultimately right — the Steelers didn’t fire Tomlin.
Regardless, I find the whole thing bittersweet. I think both of us here at R&R are excited to see what becomes of this next chapter of Steelers football. Anything could happen. But I still look forward to one day seeing Tomlin enshrined in Canton, and I will be wishing him the best in his next endeavors, be that television, another team, or the quiet retirement he’s more than earned if that’s his choosing. I also hope that, given the grace and space of time, he can one day return for future Steelers celebrations and be appreciated for what he and the team achieved here.
Today, we’ll be doing some quick reactions to questions we have about the future of the Steelers following this monumental moment in the team’s history. R&R will then be taking the next month off as we prepare to return bi-monthly during the offseason, starting in late February with our annual offseason blueprints.
Be sure to let us know your reactions to the following questions in the comments, and keep your eyes out for Mailbag callouts in The Feed while we’re on break.
Now, let’s dive in.
RP: Bittersweet, but necessary and overdue. I hope in time we can come move past some of the bitter frustrations and once again appreciate Tomlin’s accomplishments and career in Pittsburgh. He’s at the center of...
