When Mike Tomlin stepped away from the Steelers after 19 seasons, praises poured out from all across the NFL, including from virtually every player that ever competed for the legendary coach.
The reactions from Aaron Rodgers and T.J. Watt were released, both of which were tear-filled. Additionally, tight end Jonnu Smith shared that Tomlin received a standing ovation from the Steelers' locker room when he made his announcement. It’s clear the team and organization adore Tomlin.
It sounds like the love keeps coming Tomlin’s way, even a month after he stepped away. Former Pittsburgh receiver Nate Washington shared on the Bullseye View podcast this week that he was recently on a Zoom call filled with players giving gratitude to Tomlin’s time in Pittsburgh.
“I’ll say this about Mike. We literally just had a Zoom call with Mike T with over 70 people on the Zoom call just to say thank you to Mike T. All individually. We sat on that phone for two hours almost,” Washington said. “That’s what type of, not only culture the Steelers have, but the man Mike T was. He touched a lot of lives. Not just young guys, but older guys as well. He’s a very inspirational person.”
Oh, to be a fly on the wall in that Zoom call.
Tomlin hasn’t announced his next steps in his career, although it’s very unlikely for him to take any sort of coaching job in 2026 as all the head coach openings in the league were already filled. There’s a good chance Tomlin will take on a broadcasting role, or take a year off.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Steelers Players Thanked Mike Tomlin for His Time in Pittsburgh in Packed Zoom Call.
