For the first time, Mike Tomlin opened up about his decision to step down as the Pittsburgh Steelers\u2019 head coach after 19 years in the role. Making his first media appearance on NBC Sunday ahead of Sunday\u2019s game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics, Tomlin shed light on his reasons to step away.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s probably not an overnight decision,\u201d he told Maria Taylor<\/a>, \u201cbut it\u2019s probably not something that I could articulate or share with people. There\u2019s a loneliness with leadership. I just thought it was a good time for me personally. And by that I mean, just where I am in life.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I thought it was a good time for the organization to be quite honest with you. We didn\u2019t have a lot of success in the playoffs in recent years. And there\u2019s just some veteran players there, man, guys like Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt, and [Chris] Boswell, man, that I thought just were worthy of the excitement and the optimism associated with new leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n Mike Tomlin joins Maria Taylor to talk about his new role on Football Night In America on NBC and Peacock! \ud83d\ude4c pic.twitter.com\/dxiLKFQlw4<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NBC Sports (@NBCSports) April 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n In another portion of the interview, Tomlin said he believes Aaron Rodgers will return<\/a> as Pittsburgh\u2019s 2026 quarterback.<\/p>\n Hired in 2007, Tomlin found immediate success. He won a Super Bowl in his second year, becoming the youngest head coach at the time to hoist a Lombardi. He returned to the Super Bowl two years later, but lost to Mike McCarthy and the Green Bay Packers. Pittsburgh remained a Super Bowl contender for the next several seasons, but hit a wall beginning in 2017.<\/p>\n As Tomlin noted, his initially sterling playoff record began forming cracks. He lost his last seven playoff games, many in uncompetitive fashion, including a 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans. The game was close until the fourth quarter, when the Texans\u2019 defense ended it in style.<\/p>\n It seems Tomlin felt what Steelers\u2019 fans expressed. The franchise was stuck and stagnant and needed a new voice and energy. Tomlin once cited failure to get center Maurkice Pouncey a ring<\/a> as among his biggest football regrets, and he didn\u2019t want to do the same to Heyward, Watt, and company.<\/p>\n Tomlin\u2019s decision wasn\u2019t sudden, and it didn\u2019t even come late in 2025. In January, Ronde Barber revealed<\/a> that before the 2025 season began, Tomlin revealed he expected last year to be his final one coaching. For now, at least. Tomlin may return to coaching in 2027 or beyond. He told NBC he joined the media to stay close to the game and share his thoughts on football with a wide audience. He\u2019ll become a studio analyst for Sunday night\u2019s Football in America this fall.<\/p>\n\n