Most of the remaining crowd at Acrisure Stadium thought so on Sunday night. Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger might agree with them that the franchise and head coach Mike Tomlin should part ways.
"It's being talked about around here a lot. Maybe it's time," Roethlisberger said Tuesday on his podcast. "Maybe it's 'clean house' time. Maybe it is. … And I like Coach Tomlin. I have a lot of respect for Coach Tomlin, but maybe it's best for him, too. Maybe a fresh start for him is what's best, whether that's in the pros (or not)."
Roethlisberger floated the idea of Tomlin relocating to Happy Valley to take control of Penn State, which remains without a leader after the firing of James Franklin in October. Tomlin has a 189-113-2 record while in charge of the Steelers.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – DECEMBER 09: Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) makes a pass during a game between the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers on December 9, 2021, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)
"Here's what you don't do. You don't fire a guy like Coach Tomlin," Roethlisberger said. "He's a Hall of Fame coach. He's respected. What you do is you come to an understanding and agreement. It's like, 'Hey, listen, I think it's probably best for both of us.' Because, listen, we've had the same head coach in Coach Tomlin, different offensive coordinators, different defensive coordinators, but it's kinda been the same story.
"We've had a few offensive coordinators now, and the offense looks a lot the same. This looks a lot like Matt Canada's offense, in terms of just like, 'Where's the splash? Where's this?'"
Roethlisberger added that even Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher, Tomlin's predecessors, saw their tenures come to a close in the Steel City. Tomlin is four wins away from surpassing Noll's black and gold wins record.
"It's like, 'Okay, it's time to find that next guy.' And who's that next guy that can be here for the next 20 years?" Roethlisberger said.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Ben Roethlisberger Addresses Mike Tomlin's Future with Steelers: 'Maybe It's Time'
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