Mike Tomlin Exit 'Felt Like a Funeral' Says Steelers Player, How Aaron Rodgers, Watt & More Reacted

The Pittsburgh Steelers' facility was a melancholic scene as head coach Mike Tomlin informed the team he was stepping down as head coach, according to The Athletic's Mike DeFabo.

DeFabo spoke to one staffer who described the scene as "like a funeral."

"I teared up. It's like finding out your dad died," they said.

Star linebacker T.J. Watt was among those stunned by the news, simply saying, "No," as Tomlin gave his farewell speech.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was emotional as well. He reportedly told Tomlin, "I'm sorry," on multiple occasions:

"Inside the team meeting room Tuesday, Rodgers, through sobs, mustered a two-word message to deliver to his coach: 'I'm sorry,' several players heard him say. 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry.'"

Tomlin's exit didn't come completely out of the blue.

The Steelers won the AFC North and continued their coach's streak of finishing .500 or better. The manner of their Wild Card Round defeat to the Houston Texans was a reality check, though.

▶️ Full Texans-Steelers Recap

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Pittsburgh scored six points and finished with 175 yards of offense. The offense was pedestrian, while the defense allowed Houston to average 6.2 yards per play.

The year-to-year consistency the Steelers enjoyed under Tomlin shouldn't be disregarded entirely, but fans were understandably growing frustrated with seeing the same outcome every season. Pittsburgh's last playoff win was in 2016.

The organization badly needs a reset, and that's tough to pull off with a head coach who would've been in his 20th season.

Tomlin's longevity meant his departure would nonetheless hit differently regardless of the circumstances behind it.

For a lot of Steelers players, the 53-year-old is more than just the only NFL head coach they've ever known; he's an institution.

Watt was 13 years old when Tomlin first joined Pittsburgh in 2007. DeFabo described Tomlin as "more like an uncle than a coach" to cornerback Joey Porter Jr., whose dad also played for him.

The Steelers' aversion to firing head coaches and their general reputation will make this an attractive vacancy. But some candidates might balk at the challenge of succeeding a figure as revered as Tomlin because he'll leave a long shadow in the locker room.