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Posted 1/12/2026

After losing to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round of the 2026 NFL playoffs, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin called it quits after 19 seasons and one Super Bowl win. While quarterback Aaron Rodgers' retirement plans have yet to be confirmed, the 42-year-old suffered a brutal, season-ending defeat where his last pass may have been a pick-six thrown to safety Calen Bullock. The final score was 30-6, and frankly, it wasn't even that close.

The Steelers organization now faces an uncertain future. Possible replacements at head coach could include John Harbaugh, who was fired by the Baltimore Ravens after 18 seasons. Harbaugh’s Ravens had their playoff hopes dashed this year after losing twice to the Steelers, but his Super Bowl pedigree makes him a top candidate. For Tomlin, opportunities abound; the Dolphins, Falcons, and Browns are all hunting for a leader of his stature. Remarkably, Tomlin never had a losing record in nearly two decades, but the post-Roethlisberger era proved difficult. From Michael Vick and Justin Fields to Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers, the search for a permanent successor under center remains the franchise's biggest hurdle - Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph proved to be unsuccessful at the quarterback spot in Pittsburgh as well.

What some may not have considered is that Tomlin may have been given the chance to bow out gracefully even though he was still under contract. Despite the Steelers staying above .500 for all this time, they haven't been able to make it over the hurdle. The Steelers did have another Superbowl appearance after their win, but a lot of disappointment followed. After a storied career and being one of the youngest head coaches ever selected, we'll be watching to see if this is a break for Tomlin or is this truly the end.