Former Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin Makes Strong Confession About The Team's Championship Future

The Pittsburgh Steelers are beginning to look like a Super Bowl contender in 2026. The team is riding a four-game winning streak and its playoff hopes are as alive as ever. The Steelers have a huge opportunity in Week 10 to take hold of the AFC North lead yet again if they can defeat the rival Cincinnati Bengals. The Steelers are trending upward behind the likes of Mike McCarthy, who is in his first season as the team's head coach. Former head coach Mike Tomlin, while not with the team anymore, is hoping for the Steelers' success. 

Tomlin spent 19 seasons as the head coach of the Steelers and will go down as a legend in Pittsburgh. During his tenure, he accumulated 193 regular-season wins, zero losing seasons, 13 playoff appearances, eight AFC North division titles, and two Super Bowl appearances, including one victory. Tomlin has a very decorated career as a head coach, but after stepping down following the 2025 season, the Steelers were in search of their next head coach.

Enter McCarthy, who had plenty of experience winning alongside quarterback Aaron Rodgers who he coached during his time with the Green Bay Packers. The two are now reunited in Pittsburgh and have the chance to repeat their success. The hiring of McCarthy was met with concern, but nine weeks into the 2026 regular season, the decision looked like the best for the team. McCarthy has been able to produce the best Steelers team we have seen in quite some time and has put the roster in the best position to win now.

Tomlin still has a strong connection with a lot of the players on the Steelers' roster, as he was in McCarthy's shoes just one year ago. During a recent episode of Not Just Football, Tomlin spoke about his feelings towards the Steelers and what a Super Bowl victory in 2026 would mean to him as the team's former head coach.

"I have had the confetti rain down on me more than once," Tomlin said. "I want that for him [Cam Heyward]. I want that for T.J. Watt. They are very deserving, and that is the only thing that they have not seen in this game. Even if it does not include me, I am okay with that because that is just how I feel about those guys."

While Tomlin's time as the Steelers' head coach ended on a bit of a sour note, he should still be respected by Pittsburgh. He became a fan-favorite over the years and was beloved by the city, but his inability to get the team in a position to have postseason success during his final years as head coach left a bad taste in the mouths of many Steelers fans. The majority of players who have played under and against Tomlin have always had good things to say about him, and it seems like that energy is reciprocated by the man himself.

Tomlin now works as a studio analyst for NBC Sports and has publicly made it clear that it is hard for him not to root for his former team while on national television. Tomlin has such a deep-rooted connection to Pittsburgh after spending almost two decades as the team's head coach, so his love for the organization and its players makes a lot of sense. Hopefully the Steelers can deliver on his wishes and win a Super Bowl in honor of him.

Steelers Have Built A Solid Coaching Staff Following Tomlin's Departure

Pittsburgh has looked like an entirely new team after McCarthy was hired and seems to finally have found its identity. McCarthy is an offensive-minded head coach who took over the play-calling duties when he was hired and has done a pretty good job in the role. He brought Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham with him, who has been amazing at getting the most out of this talented defense. 

The new coaching regime might have been what the Steelers needed, as they look better than they have in many seasons.

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