Ben Roethlisberger speaks out after Steelers’ Mike Tomlin steps down

It seems like former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin couldn’t hold up under the strain of playoff losses. Still, the organization is expected to find a similar coach. And former Steelers’ great Ben Roethlisberger spoke out about Tomlin stepping down.

On his show, Footbahlin W/ Ben Roethlisberger, he said he didn’t expect Tomlin to leave, according to a post on YouTube.

“I’ll be honest,” Roethlisberger said. “I was surprised a little bit. (And) I was a little shocked. I know there’s been a lot of talk. And there’s been grumblings and this, that, and the other. But I thought, Coach, I know him well enough to know that he loves the challenge. He loves to compete. He’s a competitor. Which you can’t go 19 years and not have a losing season in the NFL if you’re not a competitor. He’s a gold jacket guy. Chuck Noll, gold jacket. Bill Cowher, gold jacket. Coach Tomlin.”

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin left a strong legacy

It seemed like the timing was right for Tomlin. He couldn’t build the Steelers into a postseason competitor, despite getting there often. And the 30-6 blowout loss to the Texans on Monday night, it didn’t make much sense for Tomlin to stick around. No matter what Roethlisberger thought.

The big questions now are: Where will Tomlin land? And who will try to fill his shoes?

The Steelers didn’t necessarily expect Tomlin to step down, according to Fox Sports.

“It was his decision, and I will say that I wasn’t shocked, but I wasn’t expecting that conversation yesterday either,” Rooney said. “I was certainly willing to take another run at it next year with Mike, and that was what I was expecting to talk about yesterday, but it went in another direction.

“Mike indicated that he did not anticipate coaching in the near future. I think he wants to spend time with his family and do the things he hasn’t been able to do for the last many years. So, if something like that comes up, we’ll deal with it when it comes up, but it doesn’t seem like something on his radar.”

Tomlin remains under contract with the Steelers. So any team hiring him this year would have to compensate the Steelers. That may delay his NFL return until the 2027 season.

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