One former Pittsburgh Steelers star seems to think Mike Tomlin is making the correct decision by walking away from his job, but for a very interesting reason.
Ex-Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell responded to the news of Tomlin’s resignation by saluting his former coach. He also offered Tomlin a message, urging the coach to “go to where (you’re) celebrated.”
go to where your celebrated Coach T 🫡
— Le'Veon Bell (@LeVeonBell) January 13, 2026
Bell’s implication is that Tomlin has gotten a bad rap for a lot of Pittsburgh’s troubles. Late in the season, Steelers fans could be heard chanting for Tomlin’s firing at games, particularly when it looked like the team might miss the playoffs. The criticism died down temporarily as the Steelers rallied to win the AFC North, but the criticism returned after the team’s 30-6 Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans on Monday.
Tomlin never had a losing season during his 19 years coaching the Steelers. Based on that alone, one could easily argue that the coach was underappreciated in Pittsburgh by the end of his tenure. On the other hand, Monday’s loss was also his seventh straight postseason defeat. Under Tomlin, the Steelers could get to the playoffs, but during the latter part of his tenure, they could not win there.
Bell spent five seasons with the Steelers before holding out for an entire season and then leaving for the New York Jets. His career never recovered. Bell later said that he regretted leaving Pittsburgh, but he does not seem to think Tomlin will have the same regrets down the line.
