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By Ellis Williams
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Mike Tomlin still believed the Pittsburgh Steelers could win a championship when he decided to leave.
He was less certain he remained the right coach to get them there.
The former Steelers coach discussed his departure with defensive tackle Cameron Heyward on Thursday’s episode of “Not Just Football.” The conversation comes before Tomlin covers his former team in person for NBC on Sunday, when Pittsburgh visits Cincinnati.
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“I never wanted to stay too long,” Tomlin told Heyward. He explained that he admired people who recognized when it was time to step away and wanted to make that decision himself.
Tomlin also considered what a change could mean for Heyward and outside linebacker T.J. Watt. He believed the roster could contend, but worried that “my bags might slow that down.” A new coaching staff, he explained, could give those veterans renewed optimism.
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Asked when he knew he would step down following January’s playoff loss to Houston, Tomlin placed that realization on the drive home.
Tomlin announced his departure Jan. 13, ending 19 seasons in Pittsburgh. His initial statement thanked the Rooney family, players, coaches, staff and fans while making clear his affection for the franchise would continue.
“While this chapter comes to a close,” Tomlin said in that statement, “my respect and love for the Pittsburgh Steelers will never change.”
His tenure included 13 playoff appearances, eight AFC North titles and the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl championship. Pittsburgh never finished below .500 during those 19 seasons. Team president Art Rooney II praised that consistency when Tomlin stepped down, along with the commitment he had brought to the organization.
His final game was a 30-6 wild-card loss to the Houston Texans, a lopsided finish to another playoff season.
Tomlin finished with a 193-114-2 regular-season record and an 8-12 playoff record. The regular-season victories tied him with Chuck Noll, leaving two of Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl-winning coaches with the same total despite leading the franchise in different eras.
NBC announced Tomlin’s addition to “Football Night in America” in April. He has already been working on the network’s coverage this season.
Sunday brings his first on-site Steelers assignment in that role. Pittsburgh and Cincinnati are both 6-2, with first place in the AFC North at stake.
Aaron Rodgers will lead Pittsburgh against Joe Burrow and the Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, with the pregame show beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
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