Mike Tomlin's walking out of the Steelers has left the players heartbroken, with the 4-time MVP Aaron Rodgers being hit the hardest.

The Athletic spoke with several players, coaches, and staff who recounted Tomlin’s final moments as Steelers head coach. Rodgers was apologizing, as per the report.

"Inside the team meeting room on 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," read the report.

Rodgers did not have a very good performance in the loss to the Houston Texans, as the offense struggled to find any rhythm throughout the game. He completed 17 of his 33 pass attempts for 146 yards, failing to throw even one touchdown and finishing with one interception.

He was under constant pressure, getting sacked 4 times, and the Steelers managed just 6 points in the defeat. The guilt must have caught up to him as Tomoin and Rodgers showed incredible chemistry on and off the field. And he wasn't the only one devastated by the news.

The Athletic reported, "'No,' star outside linebacker T.J. Watt said...'No. No. No. No. No,' he kept repeating over and over, his eyes welling with tears as Tomlin continued his speech." Many of the fans might have had the same reaction, and now they must prepare for another as well.

Mike Tomlin's departure may result in Aaron Rodgers leaving the team as well

Before the 2025 season, the former QB signed a one-year contract with the Steelers worth about $13.65 million, including $10 million guaranteed. Now, will he be there with them in the future?

Steelers owner Art Rooney II was asked about this in Wednesday's press meet. “Aaron came here to play for Mike, so I think it will most likely affect his decision,” he said. Rodgers had the most productive season of any Steelers quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger.

But he was still well below the standards he had set for himself as he recorded a passer rating of 94.8 with 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions in 16 games this season. The QB himself has talked about his retirement.

“I’m not going to make any emotional decisions,” he said. “At this point, obviously, such a fun year. A lot of adversity, but a lot of fun. Been a great year overall in my life in the last year, and this is a really good part of that, coming here and being part of this team. So, it’s disappointing to be sitting here with the season over.”

Written by

Reyansh Dubey

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu