Steelers LB Alex Highsmith details how Mike Tomlin stepped down
The Steelers edge rusher details the final moments of Mike Tomlin’s tenure.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 4: Alex Highsmith #56 of the Pittsburgh Steelers walks off the field after winning the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium on January 4, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images) | Getty Images Mike Tomlin stepping down as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers is one of the more shocking developments in recent years. The Super Bowl-winning head coach left the Steelers after 19 seasons as the team’s head coach, and as time goes on, more players are speaking out about the day they found out.
The most recent is edge rusher Alex Highsmith, who detailed the final moments of Tomlin’s tenure in Pittsburgh. “He told us in our team meeting and I think we were all in shock,“ Highsmith said on The Ross Tucker Podcast . “Coach Tomlin is truly one of one.
And just to be coached by him for six years was a blessing. “ Highsmith then gives insight into the team meeting after the loss to the Texans. “Obviously, we had lost,” Highsmith said.
“It was really quiet in the room and whatnot because we had lost the day before to the Texans. And like I said, he came in and told us [that he was stepping down]. It was a tough day, it was an emotional day.