Inside Mike Tomlin's decision to walk away from Steelers - ESPN

With only the most dedicated, or perhaps the most discontent, fans remaining in the bright yellow seats of Acrisure Stadium on a deflating, frigid night, Mike Tomlin walked off the turf for the last time as the Pittsburgh Steelers' head coach just after 11 p.m. Monday.

A week earlier, he pounded his chest and blew kisses in a triumphant exit, exuberantly celebrating an AFC North title in front of a raucous crowd. A miraculous fourth quarter by quarterback Aaron Rodgers and a missed Baltimore Ravens field goal attempt breathed life into Tomlin's 2025 Steelers, an opportunity to break the drought of postseason failure.

Now, though, that hope and fanfare were gone in the aftermath of a close wild-card game that ultimately snowballed into a 30-6 blowout against the Houston Texans. Tomlin wove through clumps of numb Pittsburgh players and staffers, past benches and heaters, descending down the flight of stairs to the tunnel with Rodgers trailing close behind.

Out of view of the cameras and the fans calling for his dismissal as well as Rodgers' retirement, Tomlin strode several yards, ascended two small flights of stairs, paused for a moment and then turned left into the locker room's antechamber. He crossed the yellow logo on the black speckled, rubberized floor, and as he turned left to step into the spacious room rimmed with wooden lockers, he passed by his own words, immortalized in steely, silver block letters hanging on the black cinderblock wall: «The Standard… is the Standard.»

Once everyone was off the field and inside the locker room, security closed the black double doors and created an enclave from the outside world, just as Tomlin always wanted it. Even when it became standard for broadcast networks to join the