Joe Thomas

It's interesting.

Football is so fickle and fans of professional teams, they always want what they don't have.

And you don't realize what you have until it's gone.

And I was feeling that the Steelers were getting tired of Tomlin, even though he's had such great success there throughout the years.

Same thing with Harbaugh.

That was a little bit more surprising, but obviously happened sooner.

And even in Cleveland, you know, Kevin Stavansky, two-time coach of the year, and they get rid of him because they're looking for somebody new.

And it's funny, as soon as those guys hit the market, every other team that's looking for a coach wants that guy that they don't have.

I do think it was his decision.

I think he was tired of being underappreciated in Pittsburgh.

He's done nothing but great things there.

Sure, they haven't had as many championships as they've wanted, but he's given them sustained success.

And I'm sure it was a conversation where they were talking after the season and he was feeling a little bit underappreciated by the fan base, certainly, but then maybe even from ownership.

And I think they probably mutually talked about it.

And he said, you know what?

I got plenty of people that are going to want my services, and I'm going to have a chance to have a fresh start with a fan base that is excited to have me and just rejuvenate and reenergize his career as a head coach.

And so I do think it was definitely a mutual stepping down.

I don't think they would have fired him unless he was willing to step down and potentially go somewhere else.

Yeah, every coach, they're looking at who's my quarterback, because I know if I don't have a quarterback, I've got two years to find one, and the chances of finding them are about one in four when you look at the odds throughout the league of drafting a quarterback or being lucky and finding one in free agency or through a trade.

And so they know, like, I'm not going to go somewhere that I don't have an answer at that quarterback position because quarterback gives you a chance.