Mike Tomlin’s least favorite question is about to be asked after former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger floats wild landing spot
Ben Roethlisberger just added a ton of fuel to the fire that is Mike Tomlin leaving Pittsburgh.
The noise surrounding Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh has reached a fever pitch. It feels like an added tradition to the Holidays at this point, as the annual questions surrounding Mike Tomlin’s future in Pittsburgh have surfaced yet again.
This go-round feels different, however. Following one of the worst losses of the Tomlin era, whether it was players in the building after the game, or James Harrison doubling down on his stance regarding Tomlin, or now Ben Roethlisberger, it feels like this could be the year where the two parties go their separate ways.
And if they do, Big Ben has one spot in mind.
Ben Roethlisberger says Mike Tomlin should leave the Steelers for the Penn State job
“Maybe it’s a clean-house time. Maybe it’s time,” Big Ben said on his podcast Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger via Channel Seven on YouTube. “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 in Penn State? He would probably go win national championships, because he’s a great recruiter.”
It’s a fun theory to think about Mike Tomlin moving to Happy Valley and taking on the title as head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions, but as Tomlin once said when asked about the USC and LSU openings a few years back: “Never say never, but… Never. There’s not a booster with a big enough blank check.”
I would bet that the viral sentiment he had then still rings true today. Why?
Because even though the Steelers and Mike Tomlin are teetering on collapse, he’s an NFL coach through and through. He enjoys the development of young men and players more than perhaps any other coach in the league, but he loves what he calls the “weighty moments” of NFL football. The competition, the stakes, the pedigree. Mike Tomlin is a professional coach, and I would be floored if he left for college ball, a sport where you are opening Pandora’s box every season.
“Hey guys, I don’t have time for that speculation. I mean, that’s a joke to me. I got one of the best jobs in all of professional sport. Why would I have any interest in coaching college football?” Tomlin said when asked back in 2021. “And that will be the last time I will address it. Not only today, but moving forward. Never say never. But never. OK? There’s not a booster with a big enough check.”
Maybe there is in 2025.
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