The “fire Tomlin” chants by the Pittsburgh Steelers fans in Week 13 at Acrisure Stadium gained weight when their own legend, Ben Roethlisberger, asked owner Art Rooney II to clean the house. However, after over a month, when Mike Tomlin finally stepped down after 19 years at the helm, Big Ben’s stance has taken a dramatic 180-degree turn.

“Coach T, we got to spend 15 years together, and through the ups & downs it was a great ride,” Roethlisberger said. “Thank you for all you did for me and this team, and this community! You are a legend, and one of the greatest to do it! Here is to the next chapter – whatever that looks like.”

Roethlisberger started his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2004 when he was drafted by the team. In 18 seasons with them, he played 15 under head coach Mike Tomlin. During that time, Tomlin helped the Steelers build a culture and maintain competitiveness.

With Tomlin, Big Ben revived again and posted 32 touchdowns in 2007 after posting only 18 last season. He also received his first Pro Bowl nod and a Comeback Player of the Year honor with Tomlin’s arrival in Pittsburgh. The next season, they won Super Bowl XLIII. However, the toll of not winning in the postseason weighed heavily on Tomlin’s future with the franchise.

Within 24 hours of the Steelers losing 30–6 to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, news broke out that Tomlin had stepped down from the Steelers’ head coaching role. While the team was facing a long stretch of playoff win drought, the bigger factor may have been the head coach losing the city’s trust, as chants of “fire Tomlin” broke out in the wild-card game as well.

Tomlin achieved consistent success in Pittsburgh. He never had a losing regular season in 19 years and finished with 193 regular-season wins, tying the record for the most in Steelers history. The Steelers made 13 playoff appearances, won eight AFC North division titles, and captured a Super Bowl victory in 2009 under his leadership. But everything runs its time, and so did Tomlin’s tenure with the Steelers.

While Roethlisberger’s recent comments reflected their friendship, the fact that it came after him suggesting that Tomlin should give up made things confusing.

Ben Roethlisberger made a shocking admission about Mike Tomlin

Mike Tomlin’s exit from the Pittsburgh Steelers may seem to have affected many, but several entities, including Ben Roethlisberger, actually stepped forward to ask for it. Just weeks before Tomlin’s decision to voluntarily step down from his role, Roethlisberger pressed on the fact that maybe it was time for the HC to consider an exit.

“Maybe it’s a clean-house time. Maybe it’s time,” Roethlisberger said in early December. “I like Coach Tomlin. I have a lot of respect for Coach Tomlin. Maybe a fresh start for him is what’s best.”

With several HC position openings, including in the Baltimore Ravens, Atlanta Falcons, and New York Giants, Tomlin has several options to resume his coaching career. While he has suggested that he wants to put some time into his family, there could be a possibility for the coach to enter a new line of work.

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Industry sources suggest that a transition to television broadcasting could be one of the most intriguing possibilities on the table. Several networks, including FOX, ESPN, NBC, CBS, and Amazon Prime Video, are reportedly possible contenders for the 53-year-old coach to join their NFL coverage teams. However, it will depend on Tomlin to make his final move.