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Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio argued former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin could be the next John Madden.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and former head coach Mike Tomlin have gone their separate ways after almost two decades together. That is, after Tomlin stepped down from his post shortly after the season ended in January. Now, Pittsburgh native and Super Bowl-winning head coach Mike McCarthy will lead the organization into the future.

While Tomlin believed that his former players could benefit from better leadership, some believe that he could actually be rooting for his old team not to succeed. DraftKings host Dave Dameshek thinks that the future Hall of Famer will not be pulling for his former squad right away next season.

Is Mike Tomlin Going Against the Pittsburgh Steelers?

GettyMike Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers guided the Pittsburgh Steelers to their first AFC North title in five years last season.

Here is what Dameshek had to say last week via Football America! about Tomlin going against Pittsburgh in 2026:

“Mike Tomlin doesn’t want the Steelers to go on a postseason run this season…Do you hope your pals have fun on the road trip you weren’t invited on?… Do you think he now wants to see his team show that they are better off without him?… Don’t expect Tomlin to be there waving a terrible towel (if the team is in the playoffs).”

This is certainly an interesting take on the situation. However, people need to remember that Tomlin was the one who stepped down. The organization did not fire him. So, it doesn’t seem like Tomlin is too worried about the team being better than it was when he was there. He has moved on. Plus, although he didn’t have a great end to his Steelers tenure, he continued the trend of consistency and winning for many years. Remember, he holds the NFL record for most consecutive non-losing seasons in NFL history. He should be at peace with his accomplishments.

Mike McCarthy Looks to Take the Steelers Beyond What Mike Tomlin Did

GettyMike McCarthy guided the Green Bay Packers to nine playoff appearances in nearly 13 seasons (2006-2018) as head coach.

Tomlin kept the Steelers in contention for nearly his entire career in the Steel City. Between 2007 and 2025, Pittsburgh went to the playoffs 13 times, won the AFC North eight times, made the AFC Championship game three times, and brought home Super Bowl XLIII. McCarthy had a similar track record with the Packers before becoming the Dallas Cowboys head coach. In his 18 seasons as an NFL head coach, McCarthy has taken his teams to the playoffs 12 times, won eight division titles, made three NFC Championship games, and brought home Super Bowl XLV.

Now reunited with his former quarterback, future first-ballot Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, McCarthy will look to use that chemistry to spur the team on. The last time these two had a full season together (2016), Rodgers threw 40 touchdown passes and probably should’ve won the MVP. The Packers also went to the NFC Championship game that season. Combine McCarthy’s chemistry with Rodgers and the acquisitions that Steelers GM Omar Khan made this offseason, and the Steelers are a team to watch in 2026.