Oh go ahead and admit it. Many of you are hoping that this ‘Aaron Rodgers’ thing goes so poorly that it will lead to the demise of Mike Tomlin. Some, but not of all of those same folks also know that it doesn’t matter and that’s exactly the right line of thinking to follow. The Pittsburgh Steelers made it official last night saying that they had agreed to a one-year deal with Aaron Rodgers. That’s just the first of many steps along the journey.
There has and always will be a contingent of Steeler Nation that hates Mike Tomlin. They will never give him credit for anything positive and every negative thing that happens is his fault. I have tried to take a more practical and case-by-case view of Tomlin’s time in Pittsburgh but believe me, I’m as ready for change as anyone. Regardless of what Aaron Rodgers does though, it will make zero impact on the job security of Mike Tomlin.
Some call him ‘bulletproof.’ Some suggest he’s made of Teflon and others think he’s got so much power and influence in the organization that he might as well be running it rather than Art Rooney II. I don’t need to go into the numbers because you are likely aware of them. The longest-tenured coach in American professional sports came out of the blocks on fire. Over the last decade however, it’s been more like a few puffs of dirty smoke coming from the exhaust.
Despite this, Tomlin isn’t going anywhere. Rodgers could lead this team and Tomlin to his first under .500 record and yet he still will be on the sidelines in 2026. What I will say though is that if this doesn’t go well, it will (and should), have an impact on Tomlin’s status inside the organization. From everything I’ve been told throughout this entire process, Tomlin has been the one pushing for it. Rodgers is not a fit for Arthur Smith’s offense so I’m curious as to how those conversations have gone and how they will proceed. In other words, we saw who won out last season between Smith and Russell Wilson. How or will that change with Rodgers?
Mike Tomlin is also hoping that Rodgers’ arrival is met favorably by the locker room and that’s always a question mark. There will no doubt be some ‘idol worship’ by younger players who grew up watching Rodgers and I largely expect the veterans to welcome him too. Locker rooms however can be divisive places especially when a team isn’t winning. How will Rodgers’ teammates handle the weekly appearances on ‘The Pat McAfee Show?’ Will Tomlin be able to just shrug off Rodgers placing the blame on others as he’s been known to do?
By the time the dust settles in 2026, Mike Tomlin will still be here and Aaron Rodgers won’t. I know that doesn’t sit well with many of you but the truth really sucks sometimes.
