Insider: Mike Tomlin Could Leave Steelers Because of Aaron Rodgers

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin faced a firestorm of criticism after the team lost five-straight games to close out the 2024 campaign, though it could ratchet up even further if things don't go swimmingly this upcoming season.

During a Steelers chat for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Brian Batko stated that he believes Tomlin and the organization could agree to go their separate ways next offseason if they still fail to take the next step with Aaron Rodgers in the fold.

"Mike Tomlin can only outrun it for so long," Batko wrote. "He went lone ranger, as he admitted to Jay Glazer, last year turning to Russell Wilson. It sounds like Rodgers is in a similar situation, too. I don't think the Steelers would ever fire Tomlin, but if Rodgers signs and things go poorly, I really do wonder if both sides wouldn't agree that it's time to move on."

Now, signing Rodgers is still no guarantee, but the momentum has been heading in that direction for several months at this point, and Pittsburgh's decision to refrain from expending a top pick on the position in the NFL Draft or signing another veteran to compete with Mason Rudolph thus far would certainly back that notion up.

Another Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter in Ray Fittipaldo noted that it appears as though Tomlin is conducting the Rodgers hype train within the Steelers' organization, so perhaps he's planning on going full steam ahead with the intent of bringing in the four-time MVP and letting the situation play out however it may on the field.

"I think Art Rooney and that front office are deferring to him," Fittipaldo said on 93.7 The Fan last week. "Let's face it, any free agent that's gonna sign here, playing for Mike Tomlin is gonna be a big part of that equation. A lot of people around the league want to do that ... I don't know if that Steelers logo right now means as much to Aaron Rodgers as it does Mike Tomlin. I think Mike is a big part of this equation, and I think if Aaron Rodgers doesn't sign, I think he'll probably get most of the criticism."

Tomlin was gung-ho on Wilson last year, inserting him as the starter upon his return from a calf injury in Week 7 despite the fact that Justin Fields led the team to a 4-2 record in his absence.

That decision looked smart off the bat, as Wilson and the Steelers won six of the first seven games he played in, but Tomlin remained stubborn and opted not to call Fields' number even in the midst of their losing skid.

If the Rodgers experiment were to similarly go haywire, then it's anyone's best guess as to how the Tomlin era would proceed in Pittsburgh.