Ben Roethlisberger played under Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin from the time Tomlin accepted the job in 2007 up until the future Hall of Fame quarterback retired after the 2021 season.
On the latest edition of his “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger” podcast, the Steelers legend discussed the fact that pockets of Pittsburgh fans want the club to fire Tomlin in January.
Does Ben Roethlisberger see writing on the wall regarding future of Mike Tomlin?
“Maybe it’s a clean-house time,” Roethlisberger said about the situation, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “Maybe it’s time. I like Coach Tomlin. I have a lot of respect for Coach Tomlin. But maybe it’s best for him, too. Maybe a fresh start for him is what’s best. Whether that’s in the pros, maybe go be Penn State’s head coach. You know what he would do at Penn State? He would probably go win national championships. Because he’s a great recruiter.”
Recent reports have said that it would be a “major surprise” if Tomlin and the Steelers parted ways this coming winter. He has never had a losing season, has guided the club to a Super Bowl championship and signed a three-year contract extension in June 2024. That said, Tomlin hasn’t led the Steelers to a playoff win since the 2016 campaign.
Pittsburgh ended Week 6 of the 2025 season at 4-1 but has since lost five of seven games to fall to 6-6. A Steelers franchise that has a long history of not firing head coaches has only employed three coaches since 1969. Roethlisberger noted that a divorce involving the Steelers and Tomlin doesn’t necessarily have to get ugly.
How Ben Roethlisberger thinks Steelers could end Mike Tomlin era
“You go, ‘Hey, coach, listen, it’s probably best for all parties involved, let’s start over,'” Roethlisberger added during the podcast. “…Coach Tomlin’s been here a long time. You’d give him a statue, whatever you’ve got to do, because he deserves it, he’s earned it. But it’s time to find that next guy. Who’s that next guy that could be here for the next 20 years?”
It’s worth mentioning that the Steelers will reclaim first place in the AFC North standings if they beat the 6-6 Baltimore Ravens this coming Sunday. As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Pittsburgh as a six-point road underdog for that game. The Steelers and Ravens will meet again at Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium in Week 18.
