The news of Mike Tomlin stepping down as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers is going to send shockwaves through the NFL world, but especially for other teams in the AFC North.
Tomlin has been the Steelers' head coach for 19 years, and it's wild to see any era that long in the NFL come to an end. It's especially crazy to see that long an era end the same year you have another team parting ways with a longtime head coach.
Not only are the Pittsburgh Steelers looking for a new head coach after 19 years with Mike Tomlin at the helm, but their division rival Baltimore Ravens, are also looking for a new head coach after moving on from John Harbaugh this offseason. And when Baltimore owner Steve Bisciotti was fed the news about Tomlin stepping down in real time, he gave a reaction for the ages.
Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti jokes about Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh trading places
#Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti on if Mike Tomlin is a candidate in Baltimore:
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 13, 2026
"Holy sh*t. Wouldn't that be awesome?!? Only if John [Harbaugh] takes the Pittsburgh job." 🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/qnMtNuRpjH pic.twitter.com/GlBPu3SM1s
Maybe misery loves company, or maybe Bisciotti is just completely unbothered by the gravity of the moment. Either way, his reaction here is hilarious and priceless. It's almost as if he takes off his "NFL owner" hat for a brief moment and just becomes one of "us".
He was asked by a member of the media whether or not Tomlin was a candidate to replace Harbaugh in Baltimore, and instead of shutting it down and saying what might be considered "politically correct", he just became a fan.
You've got to love it.
And the reason he suggests the idea of Tomlin and Harbaugh swapping places is that it's a fantasy situation that would never happen. It's fan fiction-type stuff.
The Ravens are currently waist-deep in a head coaching search to replace Harbaugh, and they have had a lot of great candidates interview already. Tomlin didn't step down from his job with the Steelers to simply take a job with the Ravens. He's more likely to take a year off or go into the media world himself.
If nothing else, you've got to appreciate the candor from Bisciotti here. The press conference for the Steelers is going to have a completely different tone, but the Ravens have had a bit longer to process the idea that the Harbaugh era is over.
The only remaining head coach in the AFC North from this past season is Bengals head coach Zac Taylor. Who could have possibly seen that coming?