Mike Tomlin breaks silence on Steelers' coaching exit: 'It was a good time for me'
Mike Tomlin breaks silence on Steelers' coaching exit: 'It was a good time for me' originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . After almost two decades as the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin stepped away from the organization in January following the team's playoff loss in the Wild Card round.
Tomlin was considered one of the best coaches in the NFL, but he and the Steelers had not won a playoff game since the 2016 season. Despite always being in playoff contention, Pittsburgh appeared to stall as an organization, leading to changes in the offseason for the first time in a long time. However, Tomlin is still staying in the NFL, as he will join NBC's coverage of "Sunday Night Football" for the 2026 season.
The network made the announcement over the weekend, as Maria Taylor spoke with Tomlin about his decision to step away from coaching. Here's why Tomlin said he walked away from the Steelers. MORE: Big board of top 50 NFL Draft prospects for 2027 Mike Tomlin opens up about Steelers' coaching exit NBC's Maria Taylor introduced Mike Tomlin as an NBC analyst for the upcoming season, and the former Steelers head coach explained why he decided to step away from the team in January.
"It was probably not an overnight decision, but it's probably not something I could articulate or share with people," Tomlin said. "There’s a loneliness with leadership. I just thought it was a good time for me, personally, about that, and what I mean by that is just where I am in life.
" Mike Tomlin joins Maria Taylor to talk about his new role on Football Night In America on NBC and Peacock! 🙌 pic. twitter.