Steelers' Art Rooney II addresses if he wanted to move on from Mike Tomlin

Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II took over as the franchise's majority owner in 2017, meaning he will hire a head coach for the first time in that role after Mike Tomlin stepped down on Tuesday.

Shortly after Tuesday's news broke, some immediately suggested that the Steelers either nudged or shoved Tomlin out the door. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Rooney addressed such chatter. 

Who was responsible for the Mike Tomlin-Steelers breakup? 

"It was his decision," Rooney said about Tomlin's departure, per Mike DeFabo of The Athletic. "I wasn't shocked. But I wasn't expecting that conversation either."

Tomlin guided Pittsburgh to one Super Bowl championship and was famously responsible for zero losing seasons over his 19 campaigns in charge. However, the Steelers lost the final seven playoff games of Tomlin's tenure from January 2017 through this past Monday night's 30-6 wild-card defeat against the Houston Texans. 

In June 2024, Tomlin signed a three-year contract extension that included a team option for 2027. While Rooney wouldn't get into specifics about that deal, he hinted he was ready to run it back with Tomlin for another season. 

"I was certainly willing to take another run at it next year with Mike," Rooney revealed, according to Josh Carney of Steelers Depot. "That's what I was expecting to talk about [Tuesday], but obviously went in a different direction."

Rooney seemed to confirm previous reports that shared Tomlin does not plan to search for any head-coaching jobs before 2027 at the earliest. Rooney also said that Tomlin's reasoning for stepping down was "probably more of a family-related decision than a football-related decision." 

What's next for Art Rooney II, Steelers after Mike Tomlin's exit?

As Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot noted, Rooney said that he and general manager Omar Khan will "lead the search" for the club's next head coach but will also "rely on others in the organization to help." Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger has offered to serve as a consultant during the hiring process. 

Jake Brockhoff of Steelers Depot mentioned that Rooney also said that somebody on Tomlin's staff, such as offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, will "probably" not be Pittsburgh's next head coach. 

Fans and local media members who wanted the club to move on from Tomlin celebrated Tuesday's developments. On Wednesday, Rooney made it clear he didn't pop any champagne bottles following his conversation with Tomlin.

"It was an emotional day for everyone in our organization," Rooney added, per DeFabo. "Mike’s been a great leader of our franchise, now, for 19 years. He led us with toughness, integrity and always reflected the values of our organization."