The Baltimore Ravens firing coach John Harbaugh is indicative of “today’s sport culture,” said Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, who lamented the lack of patience afforded to most NFL coaching jobs.
The AFC North rivals coached against one another 44 times, the second most in NFL history. But Harbaugh was fired two days after the Ravens lost to the Steelers, 26-24, in the regular-season finale Sunday.
“Our stories will forever be interwoven,” Tomlin said Wednesday on the Rich Eisen Show. “This rivalry that we’ve been fortunate enough and honored enough to be a part of, I’ve just got so much respect for him and how he’s gone about his business. We’ve certainly had some legendary battles over the years. You know, in terms of him being let go, I think it’s a component of today’s sport culture. There’ve been many examples of that.”
Harbaugh, 63, was the second-longest active coach in the NFL at 18 seasons, one year fewer than Tomlin. He was under contract with the Ravens through the 2028 season.
“It’s unfortunate, but I’m sure that he is going to move on,” Tomlin said. “If he chooses to coach again, I’m sure he will and he’ll be very successful at doing so. But more than anything, I think it’s a larger example of today’s sport culture in terms of not a lot of patience in the entertainment component of what we do. There’s not a lot of longevity. I’m sure we all would like to be Don Shula and Tom Landry, but I think those days are gone.”
Shula, the NFL’s all-time leader in wins, coached for 33 seasons while Landry spent 29 with the Cowboys.
Tomlin, who joked that he’s “miles away” from Shula and Landry, said he wasn’t thinking about his job in advance of Monday night’s playoff opener against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium.
“I’m certainly very appreciative of the work environment that I’ve been in for 19 years, and the stability and the steadiness of our ownership,” Tomlin said. “But, man, I’m tunnel visioned. As a leader, I’m called upon to serve these guys. NFL playing careers are very short, so I certainly can’t seek comfort in the longevity of my career. I work with guys who have very short careers and I tend to always have and mirror that urgency. I think it’s disrespectful not to have that level of urgency when I lead them.
“Very rarely do I delve into big-picture perspectives or appreciate the longevity component of what I’ve been able to do. There’s just so many things that are waiting for me today, this week, that demand my attention.”
???? @CoachTomlin
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) January 7, 2026
Asked the @steelers head coach his reaction to the stunning news Tuesday of his long-time rival John Harbaugh being fired in Baltimore and his own future in Pittsburgh:#NFL #HereWeGo #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/gCvTjtZR0m
Tomlin has faced speculation about his future, not least of which were chants by fans of “Fire Tomlin” during a lopsided loss to the Buffalo Bills. He dismissed reports that he might be looking to pursue a television job or take a year off after this season.
“I don’t participate in any of that,” Tomlin said. “I can’t allow myself to. I’m not even really privy to the specifics of what you’re talking about. I just realize it’s a component of what I do … and you better learn to live with it or at least endure it.”
Asked whether anyone close to Tomlin shares “outside noise” with him, Tomlin said they do not.
“People that are closest to me know I really don’t care,” he said. “They’ve learned over the years. Every now and then, just the number of texts I get in my phone of people checking on me, gives me an indication of the level of outside noise. When I get texts from people that are just checking in and checking on me, that lets me know the outside noise is pretty loud.”
