Steelers Turning The Page After An Extremely Long Tenure From Mike Tomlin: "Things Are Different"

A new era for the Pittsburgh Steelers has officially started and Mike Tomlin is not around the players for Organized Team Activities (OTAs) for the first time in almost two decades. He made the surprising decision to step down in January after a Wild Card loss, which put the franchise in some uncharted territory. Mike McCarthy was quickly named the new head coach just a couple of short weeks later, and he is tasked with trying to find a way of bringing postseason success back to the Steel City. It has been, and will continue to be, a big adjustment period for many within the organization.

McCarthy did not retain many individuals that were on Tomlin's staff in 2025, so there are plenty of new coaches in the building that veteran players will have to adjust to. This is always a big deal when a coaching regime change happens in the NFL. The good news, however, is that McCarthy is a proven veteran that won't have to do much to earn the trust of the roster.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ray Fittipaldo joined The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller on Thursday to talk a little bit about OTAs and how everything is going for the team as mandatory minicamp rapidly approaches. Without going into too much detail about what has been happening, the beat writer did imply that it has been a significant change of pace.

"Things are different and it doesn't mean it's better or it's worse, but it's different, and I think that's good in a lot of ways for guys like TJ Watt and Cam Heyward," Fittipaldo said. "Sometimes I think it can just get stale. I mean, they loved Mike Tomlin, Tomlin loved those guys, but eventually, if things aren't working, you got to change things up and, you know, that's what happened here."

It has never been a secret that Tomlin was always viewed as a player's coach. While top contributors such as TJ Watt and Cam Heyward may have been upset when their long-time leader stepped down, it might end up being for the best. Per Fittipaldo, the coaching staff is already cementing its expectations within the new culture that is being developed.

"I think we'll see bigger changes in the way they do things once training camp gets here," Fittipaldo noted. "They're not gonna give away all of their secrets now, not even in camp, but from what I've seen so far, they are very detailed. The players, a lot is expected of the players and I think that's a good first step for this coaching staff."

There is a lot of time between June and September; however, things seem to be getting mixed up for the Steelers. There will be certain aspects of the operation that remain the same, but it also appears as if a lot is changing.

Winning cures all and if certain veterans such as Watt and Heyward have outstanding seasons with playoff wins also coming in January, Tomlin will be somewhat forgotten by then. That is why the hiring of McCarthy has to work out, or else many within the organization will be frustrated by how everything transpired.

Getting buy-in from all players is important, but captains need to be the ones that are practicing what the staff is preaching. A lot more will come to the surface when training camp begins, even though it already seems like a new voice in the locker room could be helping.

Steelers' McCarthy Has The Chance To Prove Fans Right

There had been a lot of calls for the franchise to fire Tomlin for a few years, specifically because of the lack of success when it mattered most. A playoff-win drought has spanned over the course of almost a decade. If the new regime comes in and finds a way to get into the playoffs, and also win one or multiple games, it will be an extremely telling revelation.

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