Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin had the spark. Back in 2009, when he led the Pittsburgh Steelers to victory in Super Bowl XLIII, he became the youngest coach (36) to do so at that point. Gone are those days. This season, Tomlin is coming off his 6th consecutive playoff loss, which was the Steelers’ 8th one-and-done in the postseason during his 18 seasons. Now, he’s being roasted even in Super Bowl commercials. A Pittsburgh law firm mocked his famous quote, “The standard is the standard,” in an ad. So changes were imminent. Tomlin himself also vowed for the same.

“Certainly, there’s change that comes with this time of year. Certainly, there’s change that comes when you don’t have desired outcome, and so those are just the realities of the business,” Tomlin, who is signed through the 2027 season after agreeing to a 3-year extension last June, had said during his season wrap-up press conference.

Interestingly, speaking of a potential change, FOX Sports analyst and Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson suggested a swap of Tomlin with the former Dallas Cowboys head coach and Pittsburgh native Mike McCarthy. Others predicted that the proposed change would be some significant shakeups, like a new offensive line coach or defensive coordinator. Instead, the team let two of their more promising defensive coaches walk, leaving many to wonder what exactly is going on with the coaching staff.

The two, DB coach Grady Brown and linebackers coach Aaron Curry, were never projected to be liabilities for the team. Curry in fact helped revitalize the group in 2023 with new guys like Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts (who hit a career-high 83 tackles), before coaching Patrick Queen to his second Pro Bowl and guiding rookie Payton Wilson in 2024. Brown’s work with the secondary helped Joey Porter Jr. emerge as a true lockdown corner. Allowing just a 16.5 QB rating when targeted—the second-best in the NFL. Meanwhile, a Steelers insider revealed something interesting.

Ray Fittipaldo stated that letting the two coaches walk away was Tomlin’s decision. “You gotta trust that Mike Tomlin knows what he is doing. This was Mike’s decision. How many blown coverages did we see late in the season? And actually throughout the season? I mean you go back to Indianapolis and Dallas, it was an issue that never really got fixed,” he had said of not renewing Brown’s contract. But looks like not everyone is on the same page about the departure of the two coaches.

Steelers correspondent Mark Kaboly recently raised a curious question in an X post. “Arguably the two best up-and-coming coaches on the Steelers staff — Aaron Curry and Grady Brown — didn’t have their contracts renewed. Is that by their choice or the team’s choice?” In, fact, there were more glaring issues to be fixed, like their struggling offensive line.

Curry has already found a new home with the New York Jets. While the Steelers are still searching for his replacement. Gerald Alexander stepped in as the new DB coach—a solid hire—but the move raises the question of why they didn’t retain Brown in the first place. Meanwhile, Pat Meyer remains the offensive line coach, despite the unit’s well-documented struggles. This isn’t the kind of shake-up fans were expecting, and unless more impactful changes are coming, it’s hard to see how this moves the Steelers any closer to true contention. Fans can’t help but take shots at Mike Tomlin after he’s letting key pieces slip away.

Mike Tomlin ‘threatened’ by talent? The fanbase argues

The internet wasted no time dissecting Mike Tomlin’s decision, and the consensus isn’t exactly in his favor. Many fans believe that letting go of Aaron Curry and Grady Brown wasn’t about performance—it was about control. Curry was fired on January 31, 2025, and now, just recently, the Steelers parted ways with Brown as well. “Too much of a threat to Tomlin’s job, eliminate all threats,” one fan wrote, hinting that their rising potential might’ve made the head coach uneasy. The idea that Tomlin may have seen them as competition rather than assets is fueling frustration.

Another fan took it a step further, saying, “They probably didn’t stroke Tomlin’s ego enough.” This speaks to a deeper concern among Steelers supporters—was this about loyalty rather than merit? Tomlin has long been known for valuing staff who align with his philosophy, but if that comes at the cost of firing promising coaches, it raises questions about his leadership approach. “Tomlin was most likely threatened by the fact that they are promising,” another fan speculated, adding to the belief that this move was more about power than performance.

Some fans have also questioned the long-term impact of these firings. “He probably let them go so he could have a couple leaves on his pathetic tree. Otherwise, this makes no sense. Meanwhile, we keep Meyer? Yikes,” one frustrated fan pointed out. The contrast is striking—while Curry and Brown are out, Pat Meyer, despite the offensive line’s struggles, remains untouched. It’s led many to believe that performance wasn’t the deciding factor here.

With the Steelers nearing a decade without a playoff win, confidence in the team’s direction is fading. “Mike Tomlin’s choice. He’s going to burn it down on his way out,” another fan vented. Whether that’s an exaggeration or not, the perception that these moves weaken the team rather than strengthen it is hard to ignore. Right now, it seems like fans aren’t just questioning the firings—they’re questioning the future.