Joe Thomas

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.

And without quarterback, you don't have a chance.

And if you're a guy like Harbaugh or Tomlin, you got the pick of the litter.

So they don't have to go anywhere else that they don't want to go that doesn't have a quarterback, unlike a guy who's maybe going to be a first-time head coach who doesn't really have as much say in where he gets to choose his next landing spot.

Yeah, listening to Aaron throughout the season, he definitely was drawn to Tomlin.

Veteran quarterbacks have always enjoyed playing for veteran coaches, right?

Because young coaches, they get in their emotions a lot, and a lot of times they are making emotional decisions that maybe a younger player might just stand back and be like,

Okay, whatever.

You can do whatever you want.

You know, I'm just here to serve you.