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Mike Tomlin shocked many when he stepped down as the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach on Jan. 13 after 19 seasons with the team. The Steelers moved quickly by hiring Mike McCarthy, but the impact that Tomlin had on the league will last for years to come.
At the 2026 NFL Combine, Behind the Steel Curtain asked Pro Football Hall of Fame safety and current general manager of the San Francisco 49ers John Lynch about his relationship with Tomlin and how he reacted to his stepping down.
Tomlin and Lynch overlapped for three seasons on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where the former served as the defensive backs coach.
“I miss it for myself. Combine is a time where we often caught up,” Lynch said.
Lynch then offered a personal story about when Tomlin arrived in Tampa Bay as the defensive backs coach in 2001.
“It’s odd to say with someone who’s a couple years younger than you — a tremendous influence in my life. You know, he came to coach me in Tampa when Herm Edwards took the Jets job. I could tell he was special right away. And he challenged me to be better.
I was at what I thought was the prime of my career. And the first minicamp we ever had, he handed me an old VCR and a legal pad and it had like 86 plays of things I could do better, and it actually ticked me off at first. I’m in the prime of my career and this guy coming out of college is going to tell me why I need to be this much better.
And my wife, as she often does, said, ‘Have you read it? Can it make you better?’ And I did just that. I listened to Linda Lynch. I started reading it, and I became a better player. And that’s the way Mike’s special. Our game will miss him.
I don’t know if it’s for good. I’m thrilled for him. I saw a picture a couple weeks ago. He was at his daughter’s (gymnastics meet). His daughter’s a tremendous gymnast at Georgia, and he was there enjoying her compete, something he hasn’t been able to do. So I know he’s enjoying those things.
I hope he comes back to the game. Sorry, Kiya — that’s his wife — because I’m sure she’s enjoying having him. But he’s just such a special human being and has given so much. And I’m happy that he made the decision on his terms.”
Lynch and Tomlin won Super Bowl XXXVII with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers together. That player and coach relationship that they grew in Tampa Bay turned into a friendship that has spanned over 20 years and counting. Lynch said he joined the NFL’s Competition Committee in part to spend more time with Tomlin.
Many people, Lynch included, seem to be wondering the same thing: Is this really it for Tomlin? The longtime head coach certainly left his impression on the league, and while his decision shocked many, those friends he made throughout his career seem to be content knowing he went out of his way and got to spend more time with his family.
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