Steelers' Jonnu Smith Detailed The Team's Emotional Reaction To Mike Tomlin Stepping Down

For 19 seasons, Mike Tomlin led the Pittsburgh Steelers into battle as their head coach. Throughout his historic time with the Steelers, which included no losing seasons and a Super Bowl victory, Tomlin was a stoic figure. As the league and the world changed, the longest-tenured coach in the NFL remained on the sidelines, as reliable as ever. Tomlin and the Steelers have parted ways, and a new era in Pittsburgh has begun.

Steelers football is a tradition, unlike any other. All they know is winning since the '70s; they're tied with the New England Patriots for the most Super Bowls of all-time, with six. Since 1969, the Steelers have only had three head coaches: Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Tomlin. Despite never having a losing season, Tomlin has not won a playoff game since the 2016 season, going 0-7 in that span.

Still, Tomlin's impact on the city of Pittsburgh and its players is evident. If you're wondering about the impact on Steelers players specifically, tight end Jonnu Smith appeared on the Freddie and Harry show on Monday to discuss the firing of Tomlin.

"To see a guy who was so quintessential to this entire city, this organization, this entire football program in Pittsburgh, it was a bittersweet feeling to have him address the team in an exit meeting in the fashion that he did, man," Smith shared. "It was a bittersweet moment. He got a standing ovation."

For almost two decades, when you thought of Steelers football, you thought of Tomlin. Through the Terrible Towels and all the glory, Tomlin was the guy; he and long-time Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who played under Tomlin for 15 seasons, were a force throughout the NFL. Tomlin was known as a player's coach, widely loved and respected by his rosters. It's no surprise that he received a standing ovation from the team on Tuesday.

Perhaps what ultimately drove the separation between Tomlin and the Steelers was the lack of consistent quarterback play after Roethlisberger retired following the 2021 season. Whether it was Kenny Pickett in the 2022 NFL Draft, or Justin Fields, and Russell Wilson through free agency, the Steelers never had competent quarterback play after Roethlisberger until this season, with 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers. 

Steelers' New Coach Will Have To Find Quarterback Of The Future

Just as Roethlisberger did for 15 seasons, the Steelers' next coach will have to find the next young quarterback for a new era of Steelers football. One thing about the team is they're not accustomed to rebuilds. This is a fan base that is used to winning and being in the mix practically every season. For the next head coach, they'll have to carry the weight of that expectation, something that not many can do.

Something else the Steelers' next coach will have to carry over from Tomlin's teams is their toughness. The best Steelers teams during the Tomlin era were hard-nosed, physical football teams that made their opponents earn everything they got. These teams represented Pittsburgh perfectly, which made Tomlin beloved for years, especially at the peak of the Tomlin era.

Few things in life have a perfect ending, and the Steelers and Tomlin parting ways is certainly not one of them. While Tomlin's last game with the Steelers was a 30-6 thrashing in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs to the Houston Texans, the 2025 Steelers season had many positives. The Steelers won the AFC North championship in a dramatic Week 18 win over the rival Baltimore Ravens, while Tomlin extended his streak of non-losing seasons to 19. There are legitimate things for Tomlin to be proud of during his last season with the Steelers, and whoever takes his place will have some big shoes to fill.

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