Steelers Legend Jerome Bettis Reveals The Brutal Truth Behind Mike Tomlin Stepping Down

The Pittsburgh Steelers were trampled by the Houston Texans 30-6 last Monday night in the Wild Card Round of the AFC Playoffs. This loss has now led long-time head coach Mike Tomlin to step down, leaving the Steelers without a chief commander for the first time in almost 20 years. Pittsburgh is notorious for not firing head coaches, as Chuck Noll retired, Bill Cowher stepped away for family reasons, and Tomlin just joined them as a man leaving on his own terms. The Steelers already have plenty of head coaching candidates they have requested to interview. Most notably, Chris Shula, Nate Scheelhaase, Jesse Minter, and Klay Kubiak. They have clearly primarily requested defensive guys, but are sprinkling in some young offensive minds as well. 

Tomlin stepping down sent shockwaves throughout the NFL world. Steelers Owner Art Rooney II said that he wasn't expecting it, but he wasn't personally shocked. The Steelers players certainly didn't see this coming. Former Super Bowl champion and NFL Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis appeared on The Herd recently, hosted by Colin Cowherd, and shared his insight on the situation, adding that he wasn't surprised by Tomlin's decision to step down as head coach.

"I wasn't surprised. When you start hearing the fans turn on you, the writing is on the wall, and you can prolong it if you want to, but you're not going to get the level of support that you need," Bettis explained. "Because what happens is, it poisons the players, and then the players start second-guessing the decisions that he's making. Right, and then once it poisons the players, now it poisons some of the assistant coaches."

This season, the Steelers experienced games in which the crowd chanted "Fire Tomlin." They even had their beloved song Renegade booed a few times. Black and Gold fans became tired of the way things continued to play out. Now, they have their wish and are guaranteed to have a new coaching staff in 2026. 

Ideally, the Steelers look for a young, offensive-minded head coach. However, judging by their interview requests and their history, they are likely to bring in another defensive-minded coach to lead the organization.

Steelers Should Get Shula Or Minter If They Go Defensive-Minded

The Steelers' last three head coaching hires have all been young defensive assistants. When Tomlin was hired, he was the youngest head coach in the NFL. The Steelers franchise is built on defense. Whether it was the Steel Curtain in the 1970s, or the 2000s defense that changed the player-safety rules we know in the NFL today. The team will likely keep the trend of defensive assistants, which is ok. However, they must get the best one. 

Shula and Minter are two of the top head coaching candidates in the NFL now. Shula, the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams, and Minter, the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers. Neither of these coordinators has a ton to work with, especially in the secondary. The Rams have a good safety duo, but are weak at cornerback. The Chargers suffer from the same issue. Despite these problems, the Chargers are still ranked fifth in total defense. While the Rams' rankings aren't as impressive, Shula brings more than just a new defensive mind. 

Shula isn't the only Rams staff member the Steelers are interviewing. Scheelhaase, who is the Rams' passing game coordinator, is interviewing for the Steelers' head coach opening. Shula getting the job leaves a good chance that he will bring Scheelhaase as his offensive coordinator. That would give the Steelers two of the upcoming bright minds on both sides of the ball. While the Steelers are still searching for a franchise quarterback, the young coaching staff leaves them as an attractive spot for free agents. 

What do you think? Were you shocked with the Tomlin news? Who should the Steelers make their next head coach? Let us know in the comments. 

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