Ben Roethlisberger played his entire 18-year career with the Steelers, and the last 15 years were spent with Mike Tomlin. Roethlisberger thinks it may be time for the Steelers and Tomlin to part ways.
Roethlisberger said on his podcast that he thinks the Steelers might be better off with a new coach and that Tomlin might be better off with a new job.
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“We talk about it a lot here: Maybe it’s time to clean house. Maybe it’s time,” Roethlisberger said. “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 best. Whether it’s in the pros, maybe become the head coach at Penn State. You know what he would do at Penn State? He’d probably win national championships. Because he’s a great recruiter.”
Roethlisberger isn’t advocating for the Rooney family to fire Tomlin, but is advocating for an honest conversation in which all parties admit things aren’t working and everyone could be better off with a fresh start.
“Here’s what you don’t do: You don’t fire a guy like Coach Tomlin,” Roethlisberger said. “He’s a Hall of Fame head coach, he’s respected. What you do is you come to an agreement and an agreement, and you say, ‘Hey, look, I think it’s probably best for both of us.'”
The Steelers have only had three head coaches since 1969. Chuck Noll spent 23 years in the position, followed by Bill Cowher for 15 years, and now Tomlin has been the coach for 19 years. The Steelers like to have stability, but ultimately every coach has to go.
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“You say, ‘Hey, coach, look, it’s probably best for all parties involved, let’s do it again.’ It happened with Chuck Noll, it happened with Coach Cowher,” Roethlisberger said. “Coach Tomlin has been here a long time. You would give him status, whatever you have to do, because he deserves it, he’s earned it. But it’s time to find the next guy. Who’s the next guy that could be here for the next 20 years?”
Roethlisberger compared the Steelers’ situation to that of the Eagles when they parted ways with Andy Reid. It worked for both sides, as the Eagles have won two Super Bowls since then and Reid has won three Super Bowls with the Chiefs. Roethlisberger said Tomlin might like the idea of trying it himself.
“I think he might say it’s time for a fresh start,” Roethlisberger said. “Andy Reid, when he was let go in Philadelphia… do you think he regretted it for one moment? And now the Eagles have won since he left, and he won.”
Maybe it’s time for Tomlin and the Steelers to see if they can both win more separately than together.
