As Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin awaits his fate and the team decides whether or not he will be returning as head coach, one Steelers legend spoke up on his behalf. Former Pittsburgh wide receiver Antonio Brown spoke up for his head coach and explained why he was important to him.
Antonio Brown Defends Mike Tomlin
In a surprising move, Brown appeared on social media and defended his former coach.
“In all seriousness… Mike Tomlin was like a father figure to me A reason so many players want to play for him All luv and respect king.”
In all seriousness…
Mike Tomlin was like a father figure to me
A reason so many players want to play for him
All luv and respect king #CTESPN pic.twitter.com/stLWDPbBm8
— AB (@AB84) January 12, 2025
Brown has been all but banished from the NFL because of his antics off the field. One team he says he would return to was the Steelers, but Pittsburgh had no interest in re-signing him. But that hasn’t stopped him from suggesting a comeback.
While Brown supports his former coach, others think it’s time for him to go.
Kyle Brandt Thinks Tomlin Should Go
NFL Network analyst Kyle Brandt thinks it’s time for Tomlin to step down as Steelers head coach.
“This is a 10-3 team that completely fell apart and lost five to end the season. This is now eight straight seasons without a playoff win for the Steelers, and this was undignified. The first half of that game was undignified. It’s also unprecedented,” Brandt explained.
“Chuck Noll never went more than four seasons without a playoff win. Bill Cowher never went more than three seasons without a playoff win. We have now gone eight. And you say, ‘Well, you can’t figure out the quarterback,’ and I understand. But I look around the league and I see teams with rookies and retreads and seventh-round picks winning playoff games,” he continued.
“There is this take which I agree with, and I think we all do, that if the Steelers were ever to part ways with Mike Tomlin, there would be 25 teams lining up to hire him, and I agree. I also think there are 25 teams in the league that would be thrilled to make the playoffs every year.
“It’s great. You get to the playoffs, it’s awesome, we can do business … It’s great, but I think there is a very exclusive fraternity of teams in the league that would hate just making the playoffs every year because they stand for something different,” Brandt concluded.
Tomlin finds himself in the same situation that Mike McCarthy was in at Dallas, making the playoffs but not going beyond the first round in most years. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones decided to part ways with McCarthy on Monday, and you have to wonder if the Steelers are about to do the same.