Pittsburgh Steelers HC Mike Tomlin | Cooper Neill/GettyImages

Change is something the Pittsburgh Steelers have shown an aversion to for nearly all of their history. There is a reason (beyond their immense overall success) that they have had just three head coaches since 1969. With Mike Tomlin’s departure forcing them to pivot unexpectedly, fans are watching anxiously to see how they go about finding a new HC.

While that search gets underway, there were questions about whether owner Art Rooney II would want to keep some of the remaining coaching staff in place. It was a fair thing to wonder, as keeping some of the remnants of Tomlin’s regime could be a way to keep the status quo somewhat intact.

Luckily for fans, it looks like that won’t be the case.

According to Steelers insider Gerry Dulac, the current coaching staff is being told that they can pursue other opportunities and won’t be kept on unless the new HC desires it.

The Steelers have told all of Mike Tomlin’s assistant coaches they are free to pursue other opportunities and won’t be retained unless the new head coach wants to rehire them, per multiple sources. All coaches are under contract through the end of February.

— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) January 15, 2026

The Pittsburgh Steelers are making the right choice to allow their next HC to pick his staff

Despite some current coaches still being viewed favorably by fans, the overall idea of allowing the next HC to pick his staff is easily the right decision. One of Tomlin’s biggest weaknesses during his 19-year career in Pittsburgh was his inability to hire the right guys around him to help innovate and elevate the scheme and roster.

Allowing whoever the Steelers hire to fill out the staff with his choices will be a quick way to find out how capable they are of putting the right coaches in the right spots.

It will also allow the Steelers to truly move on from the Tomlin era, leaving none of the questions that were a constant talking point when Tomlin kept several coaches in place when he was hired in 2007. How many times have you heard someone say that Tomlin only won because he had Bill Cowher’s players and coaches?

That isn’t to say that zero current Steelers’ coaches will be retained by the new coach. Special teams coordinator Danny Smith, running backs coach Eddie Faulkner, wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni, and defensive line coach Karl Dunbar are all candidates to return due to their experience and reputation around the NFL.

Even if it is a true restart on the coaching side of things, Steelers fans are ready for a new chapter in the storied history of Pittsburgh football. With any luck, they will hit big on another HC that can last for many years to come.

T.J. Watt’s days as a Steeler may be numbered following Mike Tomlin’s departure

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt | Joe Sargent/GettyImages

Pittsburgh Steelers fans are still adjusting to the reality of long-time Head Coach Mike Tomlin’s departure from the organization, as they have known nothing else for nearly 20 years. For his players, that adjustment will be even more difficult to deal with. Many of them have spent their entire NFL careers with him leading the way, and several others are only here because of his influence.

Tomlin has always been labeled, for better or worse, a “players” coach. He is a true leader of men, someone players have made clear is an honor to play for. One of the most vocal in that regard has been star pass rusher T.J. Watt, who has said in the past that he only wanted to play for Tomlin, which was a big part of his decision to stay in Pittsburgh.

Now that Tomlin is out the door, questions about Watt’s continued stay in Pittsburgh will certainly be a hot topic. If the report regarding the final meeting between Tomlin and his players from The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo is any indication, there is real reason to think it won’t just be speculation, either.

T.J. Watt’s reaction to Mike Tomlin leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers is a huge signal he may want out

DeFabo’s report includes initial reactions from several players, but Watt’s may be the most important (and, frankly, heartbreaking).

“No,” star outside linebacker T.J. Watt said, sitting next to fellow defensive veterans Cameron Heyward and Alex Highsmith. “No. No. No. No. No,” he kept repeating over and over, his eyes welling with tears as Tomlin continued his speech.”

It should be no surprise that Watt reacted the way he did to Tomlin’s speech. He was the one who helped him go from being a late first-round pick in 2017 to being one of the NFL’s most productive and feared defenders. He will certainly be in the Hall of Fame one day, even as his career seems to be slowing down at 31 years old.

The question now, on both his mind and many fans’ minds, is what he wants to do now that the only coach he has ever known is no longer around. Watt is clearly no longer the dominant player he once was, and his contract is one that the Steelers may be better off without now that they are entering a new era.

Will he request a trade to a contender? Does he want to stick to his guns and try to retire as a Steeler? Could he even retire earlier than expected, just like his brother J.J. Watt did a few years ago? All of these options and more are likely running through his mind as we speak, but only he truly knows where his heart is at right now.

If Tomlin’s decision to step down does end up ending Watt’s time with the Steelers as well, it will be quite the bittersweet ending for both Pittsburgh icons.