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Pittsburgh Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger suggested it might be time for the team to move on from head coach Mike Tomlin after 19 seasons.
Tomlin is the longest-serving head coach in the NFL. In the Steelers’ 26-7 loss, fans booed and called for Tomlin’s job, and it seems Roethlisberger doesn’t disagree with the sentiment of the Steelers faithful.
“Maybe it’s time to clean up. Maybe it’s time,” Roethlisberger said on a recent episode of “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger.”
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) returns to pass against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half of an AFC Wild Card playoff football game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The game took place in Kansas City, Missouri on January 16, 2022. (Jay Biggerstaff/USA TODAY Sports)
Roethlisberger, who played 15 of his 18 seasons under Tomlin, said he likes his former coach, but what he needs might be a fresh start.
“Maybe a fresh start for him is best. Whether it’s in the pros, maybe he’ll be the head coach at Penn State. You know what he’d do at Penn State? He’d probably win national championships, because he’s a great recruiter,” Roethlisberger said.
Penn State has yet to hire a full-time head coach since James Franklin was fired in October.
Roethlisberger isn’t the only Steelers legend to suggest a change may be in order, as linebacker James Harrison said “something needs to be done.”
“I’ve never been a person that thought Coach Tomlin was a great coach,” Harrison said on his “Deebo and Joe” podcast.
STEELERS HEAD COACH MIKE TOMLIN GIVES SURPRISING ANSWER WHEN ASKED ABOUT FANS ASKING FOR HIS JOB
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin warms up for a game against the Buffalo Bills at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 30, 2025. (Barry Reeger/Image Images)
“I thought he was a good (coach)… A good coach makes you play to your potential. And right now, the players we have on that team that I’ve seen play, they’re not playing to their potential. A great coach makes you play to your potential.”
The Steelers are 6-6 and tied for first place in the AFC North with the Baltimore Ravens, but they have struggled lately. They have lost five of their last seven games as their seemingly huge lead in the division has faded.
The Steelers had a chance to clinch the division after a 4-1 start. The Ravens were 1-5 and the Cincinnati Bengals were struggling to find their footing after losing Joe Burrow, but now the Steelers’ path to the playoffs looks murkier than ever.
They took a 7-3 halftime lead over the Bills, but things quickly fell apart in the second half. On the first play from scrimmage, Bills running back Joey Bosa crushed an unsuspecting Aaron Rodgers to force a fumble, which was recovered for a touchdown.
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The Bills never looked back and the Steelers offense never accomplished anything.
While outside noise about Tomlin’s job has grown louder amid the team’s woes, he has never had a losing season as a head coach. In 304 games, Tomlin has a record of 189-113-2.
The Steelers will look to silence the outside noise about Tomlin’s work when they face the Ravens in a pivotal matchup on Sunday at 1 pm ET.
