Former Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin Reportedly Knew Before Disappointing 2025 Season That He Was Done

The Pittsburgh Steelers are going through a monumental change as an organization as Mike Tomlin announced on Tuesday that he would be stepping down as the team's head coach. Pittsburgh will now conduct a search for a head coach for the first time since the 2007 offseason, and the franchise has already made some noise by putting in interview requests throughout the league. Many fans are going to be paying attention to who the Steelers hire next and what happens with the rest of the coaching staff, but fans are also intrigued by what is next for Tomlin.

Ronde Barber, who is a former cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Tomlin are great friends. Tomlin went to his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction, and the two spend some time together every offseason. Their connection began back when Tomlin was the defensive backs coach in Tampa Bay from 2001-2005, and he was partially responsible for Barber being drafted by the Buccaneers in 2002. Barber has his own show titled The Ronde Barber Show, and he recently shared that he was aware this news was coming after Tomlin told him during the offseason.

"Last year, I was in Long Island with him, and he told me then," Barber said. "He said, 'I think this is my last year,' and didn't say anything to anybody else for the entire year. So, Mike, I'm telling you right now, when Canton comes calling, dude, I'm gonna be there for you just like you were for me."

It sounds like Barber has known that Tomlin was planning on stepping down as the head coach of the Steelers throughout the entire season, which is something that various reporters had speculated on as well. Barber was told this directly from Tomlin due to how close the two are of the coach's plans to move on, which means the outcome of the 2025 season likely had nothing to do with his ultimate decision.

Tomlin and Barber have their connection from their time together in the league, and both of them are from Southern Virginia. If anyone was going to know what Tomlin planned on doing with his future after stepping down as the head coach in Pittsburgh, it is going to be Barber. After all, the Hall of Famer knew the 2025 season was going to be Tomlin's last far before anyone else did. He shared what he expects from Tomlin in the future.

"For all of y'all out there, Mike Tomlin started as a Buc," Barber said. "As I reflect on 25 years in the NFL for Mike Tomlin, he was the first person really in the building that truly believed in me, truly told me that I was gonna be the player that I ended up being. And there really are no words to describe how good of a football coach he is. Now, that being said, Mike's a friend, man. He's like family to me. We vacation every year and there's a lot of stories out there about Mike coming up and wanting to take one year off and go coach. I'm gonna tell you right now, dude, I think he's done. I think he wants to be done."

It sounds like Tomlin told Barber that this is a retirement, rather than some sort of break from coaching. The former head coach certainly has teams that want him, but he is going to enjoy his time off. He may pick up a job in the media, which is something every broadcast network should be coming after him for. This is the second time someone close to Tomlin has suggested that the former coach is done with the coaching part of his life.

Steelers Won't Benefit From A Mike Tomlin Trade

If Tomlin is happy and done with coaching, that means Pittsburgh has no chance to move his rights via trade. The Steelers could have gotten significant draft compensation had another team or two wanted Tomlin, but that isn't going to happen if Tomlin has no plans of getting back on the sidelines.

What do you think about the comments from Barber? Let us know in the comments below!

#SteelerNation