The Pittsburgh Steelers locker room might not be what it seems to many on the outside. The Steelers are a team known for their stability, led by a player-friendly head coach. But one NFL insider suggested this week that former players have come out to say not everything is okay with Mike Tomlin.
During an appearance on 93.7 The Fan’s “The PM Team” on Wednesday, CBS Sports’ Aditi Kinkhabwala said there is a “disconnect” between how the national media covers the Steelers and how things are in the locker room.
“There’s a huge disconnect, right?” Kinkhabwala said. “Because the national media is in love with Mike Tomlin, and the national media never brings up the playoff drought, and the national media never brings up all these wide receivers who can’t seem to behave one after another.”
The Steelers have lost their last five playoff appearances, their last win coming against the Kansas City Chiefs in the division round of the 2016 postseason, when Alex Smith was the QB1 for Kansas City.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers bashed Mike Tomlin
Kinkhabwala claimed multiple former players have told him that they didn’t have a great experience with Tomlin.
“I will just say this without violating anybody’s trust,” Kinkhabwala said. “There are many, many, many former players that I have spoken to, that have bitten their tongues about their experience with Mike Tomlin.”
In recent seasons, Tomlin has made controversial decisions, holding on to offensive coordinator Matt Canada too long, being indecisive with his quarterbacks in 2023 and 2024.
Tomlin and the Steelers staked 2025 on Aaron Rodgers. If the Steelers win, Tomlin will look like a hero. If Pittsburgh goes 9-8 and is bounced before the AFC Championship Game, Tomlin’s prestige will drop nationally, and maybe more voices in the locker room will chirp.
Veteran players want to play for Tomlin
Kinkhabwala’s comments come amid Tomlin’s presence being a draw to free agents around the league. In addition to being a plus for Rodgers, veteran wide receiver Tyler Boyd said on Saturday that his strong relationship with Tomlin makes him want to sign with Pittsburgh.
“I’m real cool with (Mike) Tomlin,” Boyd said. “He’s always been a good person… When I was at Pitt, we had a good relationship. After practice, I’d walk over there, talk to (Antonio Brown) and those guys, talk to Tomlin, and he’d just pick at different things–where I could get better and get some guidance.”
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