The Pittsburgh Steelers have gone through some monumental changes since the end of the 2025 season, which has included basically an entirely new coaching staff. This kind of coaching overhaul has not been seen in Pittsburgh since former head coach Mike Tomlin was hired back during the 2007 offseason. Tomlin and the organization parting ways has led to a ton of his ex-players talking about him. Nearly everything has been positive, but there has been some players that have had some things to say that could be taken negatively. This includes former Defensive Player of the Year, James Harrison.
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Mike Tomlin and James Harrison walk off of the field after beating the Cincinnati Bengals during the playoffs.
Harrison has spoken negatively about Tomlin in the past, and it has become clear that the two didn't always have the best relationship. Ever since Tomlin stepped down from his role as the head coach in Pittsburgh, Harrison has laid into him, stating multiple times that he does not think that the former head coach is a Hall of Famer. He has also exposed old stories between the two that have painted Tomlin in a bad light.
During Friday's episode of Deebo & Joe, Harrison and Joe Haden spoke about how Ben Solak ranked the Steelers first when it came to being the most improved team so far during the 2026 offseason. Harrison seemed to praise General Manager Omar Khan, while tearing down Tomlin.
"It's about time those over at ESPN came to their senses," Harrison said. "We been saying this, baby. Omar Khan is cooking, okay? They made the man head chef a couple of years ago, right? But, they didn't let him make his own menu. Now he can. We done went from like a no-star Michelin restaurant, to right now, we like a two-star Michelin restaurant. You know what I'm saying?"
Harrison loves what Khan has done throughout the 2026 offseason, and so do a lot of people. However, Harrison also noted that this is the first offseason where Khan has been able to operate as a true general manager. In the past, he always had to work with Tomlin, which is completely warranted considering how long the former head coach was with the organization.
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Former Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin (right) speaks with General Manager Omar Khan (left).
Khan officially became the general manager of the Steelers after the 2022 NFL Draft, but it is fair to assume that he now has more power and control than he has ever had in the role. Tomlin had been the head coach in Pittsburgh for 15 seasons when Khan was promoted to general manager, and he had a ton of input in roster decisions and player acquisition. The new head coach, Mike McCarthy, certainly has a say as well, but it is nowhere near what Tomlin possessed -- at least not yet.
Khan has made acquisitions throughout the 2026 offseason that can be considered necessary and impressive. Michael Pittman Jr. is certainly an upgrade at wide receiver, and his cost only being a late-round 2026 pick swap is amazing. Rico Dowdle, Jamel Dean, Jaquan Brisker, and Sebastian Joseph-Day are all signings that could wind up having a high-impact. It will be hard to evaluate this free agency class until the team is on the field in 2026, but it is fair to be optimistic about the group as of right now.
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Former Steelers cornerback Darius Slay looks on as the team works out during a practice at the UPMC Sports Complex in Pittsburgh, PA.
Steelers Had Obvious Signings That Were Mike Tomlin's Idea
In the past, there were clear times where bringing in a player was Tomlin's idea. The most recent case of that was Darius Slay. Pittsburgh signed Slay during the 2025 offseason to a one-year, $10 million deal. This wound up being a disaster as Slay got nearly $9 million guaranteed on the deal and ended up being released in the middle of the season. Tomlin has always respected football pedigree, and Slay's resume is extremely impressive. However, Pittsburgh signed him when he was 34 years old. That was never going to work out.
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