Steelers Source Pulls Back The Curtain On Mike Tomlin’s Quiet Departure

For nearly two decades, when you thought of the Pittsburgh Steelers, you thought of Mike Tomlin. Tomlin personified what it meant to be a Steeler, and the city of Pittsburgh embraced him as one of their own. Tomlin led the Steelers to two Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl victory. While the ending of the Tomlin era was unceremonious, with seven straight playoff losses, 19 seasons with one team, especially winning seasons with a team, is unheard of in today's NFL. No matter how you feel about Tomlin, the Steelers era was a rousing success for Pittsburgh, and he always did it his way.

Tomlin was widely respected among his players. When he announced his departure to his team, many players were emotional hearing from the Steelers' long-time coach. Tomlin always had his players' backs, shielding them from media scrutiny while also giving the classic Tomlin "nothing" answer. Players respected this to the highest degree, and that respect was a big reason, despite the rollercoaster season, the Steelers rallied around Tomlin and future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. However, Tomlin's approach also made criticism easy and, oftentimes, warranted.

Steelers insider Gerry Dulac shared his thoughts this week on Tomlin's departure from the Steelers, which came without a press conference.

"Yeah, because that's what he does," Dulac said. "He never wants to give anyone a glimpse into his decisions. He basically doesn't care what they think or feel obliged to tell them what he thinks."

Tomlin kept the media and those outside the building on a need-to-know basis. For Tomlin, the objective was simple: win. Everything else outside of what happened on the field, Tomlin was not interested in. He would often come off brash in his press conferences, and good luck getting a long-winded answer from Tomlin. He was media-savvy, saying only what needed to be said and never adding fuel to a story. 

The criticism that Tomlin has not held a press conference about his departure from the Steelers has merit. After all, what Tomlin meant to the Steelers and the city of Pittsburgh was immense, and a departure press conference could be seen as a final goodbye to the city of Pittsburgh and its fans. 

Without Tomlin, the Steelers most likely wouldn't have brought in Rodgers for last season. Rodgers thinks the world of Tomlin and made that known on many occasions. In fact, the Steelers' new head coach, Mike McCarthy, was perhaps the only coach that Rodgers would return for, given their history with the Green Bay Packers. While the Steelers are officially in a new era, they will be held to the standard that Tomlin's Steelers set.

Tomlin Left Steelers As Only He Could

Tomlin's departure after almost two decades with the Steelers was as quiet as possible. No show about it, no attention drawn to himself, and no closure for the fans, and Tomlin wouldn't want it any other way. Tomlin was immune to criticism, simply because he never paid attention to it. A press conference from Tomlin would've been a nice moment for the fans, but it also wouldn't have been Mike Tomlin. He was true to himself until the end.

The McCarthy era of the Steelers will be different than Tomlin's, and that's not a bad thing. Tomlin's often combative media style was something only he could pull off in the modern NFL. With Tomlin, you knew what you were getting: a coach who kept everything close to the vest, whom his players loved, and who was as consistent as ever. The Steelers enter uncharted waters now with McCarthy, who will take the mantle from Tomlin after almost 20 years. If there was ever a coach to do so, it makes sense that its one with the resume of McCarthy, and someone who's been a Steelers fan his whole life. 

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