PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger believes Mike Tomlin should remain the coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers until he chooses not to anymore.
The ex-Steelers quarterback expressed on Monday evening before entering the team’s Hall of Honor that Tomlin, the NFL’s longest-serving coach, deserves to step down on his own terms.
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Two weeks ago, Roethlisberger caught attention when he indicated on his podcast after the Steelers’ home defeat to Buffalo that it might be time in the offseason for the team to “look for the next candidate.”
Tomlin is currently in his 19th year with the Steelers, accumulating a resume that features two Super Bowl appearances, including a win against Arizona with Roethlisberger leading the team after the 2008 season.
Though the Steelers regularly make the playoffs, they have not secured a postseason win since the divisional round in 2016, marking the franchise’s longest drought without a playoff victory since Franco Harris’ Immaculate Reception over fifty years ago.
Roethlisberger, the franchise record holder in all significant passing stats and a two-time Super Bowl winner, moderated his earlier remarks before being honored in the Hall of Honor alongside former center Maurkice Pouncey and linebacker Joey Porter Sr.
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“Just because I mentioned that, it doesn’t mean there’s a necessity for some new changes, it’s simply stating that I feel Coach Tomlin, should he decide to move on, has every right to do so,” Roethlisberger remarked. “It’s not that they must; it’s his decision.”
Roethlisberger, who emphasized he tends to critique plays rather than players on his podcast, has no problem if Tomlin continues coaching indefinitely.
“We ought to celebrate him when that moment arrives, whenever it may be,” Roethlisberger noted. “Perhaps he wishes to coach for another ten years. That would be great, too.”
The 43-year-old Roethlisberger, who concluded his career after the 2021 season and will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the first time next year, mentioned he has no intentions of following a Philip Rivers-like path to return to the field in his mid-40s.
“If I had some training, I could (do it),” he stated. “Just so you know, my right arm functions perfectly, I assure you of that. It’s my overall health I’m concerned about.”
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