With the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season over, thanks once again to an embarrassing loss in the Wild Card round, the team is set to undergo many changes this offseason. At the top of that list is likely the quarterback position, as Aaron Rodgers likely just played his final game in the NFL.
Rodgers didn’t hint too much one way or the other in his post-game press conference on what his future holds. But, he also defended Mike Tomlin’s withered job security, suggesting that the calls for Tomlin’s firing are a joke.
“This league has changed a lot in my 21 years,” Rodgers said on Monday night. “You know, when you hear conversations about the Mike Tomlins of the world, Matt LaFleurs of the world, those are just two that kinda I played for. And when I first got in the league, there wouldn’t be conversations about whether those guys were on the ‘hot seat.’
"But the way the league is covered now and the way that there’s snap decisions, and the validity given to the, you know, that Twitter experts, and all the, you know, experts on TV now who make it seem like they know what the hell they’re talking about. To me, that’s an absolute joke. And for either of those two guys to be on the hot seat is really apropos of where we’re at as a society and a league.”
Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers forcefully defends HC Mike Tomlin amid growing outside pressure
Rodgers came to Pittsburgh, in large part, because of Tomlin. Tomlin built up a ton of positive equity in his first few seasons as the Steelers coach, reaching two Super Bowls, winning one, and losing the other to Rodgers. Tomlin has long been one of the most respected figures in the NFL, and it seems Rodgers feels that affords Tomlin more levity from Art Rooney II as he ponders his franchise-shaping decision on the head coach’s future.
“Mike T’s had more success than damn near anyone in the league for the last 19-20 years,” Rodgers said. “More than that, though, when you have the right guy and the culture is right, you don’t think about making a change. But, there’s a lot of pressure that comes from the outside, and obviously, that swings decisions from time to time. But it’s not how I would do things, and not how the league used to be.”
Rodgers made his stance on Tomlin’s future rather clear after fans chanted for the coach’s firing when the team lost in brutal fashion to the Buffalo Bills. The team course-corrected, mostly, winning four of their last five to take the AFC North.
READ MORE: Steelers playoff exit forces Art Rooney II to finally confront Mike Tomlin’s future
Still, despite the wins and the renewed hope in a postseason run, fans and analysts continued to ponder Tomlin’s future up to and through this game. Rodgers was willing to answer one question about Tomlin’s future, at least validating that the conversation is going to take place regardless of how he personally feels about it. But he would not take another, ending what could be his final press conference as an NFL quarterback with one last fiery defense of Tomlin.
“I’ve talked extensively about how I feel about Mike. And I just did in that [expletive] answer,” he said before promptly walking away from the press conference.
Ultimately, the decision is out of Rodgers’ hands, short of him announcing within the next few days that he plans to play in Pittsburgh in 2026 if Tomlin is brought back. That’s awfully unlikely, and it’s not like Rodgers gave any indication that he plans to return after the loss anyway.
At the end of the day, Tomlin’s 19 years of accomplishments have been sullied by nine seasons without a playoff victory. At what other point is it okay to consider that Tomlin and the Steelers should split if not that?
While Rodgers knows that he’d give Tomlin a 20th season, Art Rooney II will have to make his own decision soon. Rodgers, just like Steelers fans, will have to live with that decision, whatever it may be.