The Pomp And Joe Show
11AM - Mark Kaboly on Mike Tomlin leaving Steelers, future of the franchise; How attractive is the Steelers head coaching job
14 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: What insights does Josina Anderson provide about Mike Tomlin's future?
The most incredible phenomenon in sports history simply continues. The Arizona Cardinals have requested permission to interview Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. So that's two now.
Tennessee is interested.
I'm just speechless on this every year. I'm just speechless. What do they see in Arthur Smith? Please tell me, Bob.
I don't know. I mean, there were some good games for him, but largely more of the same. I mean, the fact that he went to a head coaching position in Atlanta in three straight 7-10 seasons, comes here, and he's just been average at best. I don't look at that as saying, well, he's what we need as a head coach.
I'm just blown away by this.
But this whole league, isn't it about just recycling guys? A lot of guys have been and will continue to be recycled.
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Chapter 2: What is the current perception of Mike Tomlin's performance?
All the candidates out there who are so enticing and interesting and nothing against Arthur seems like a really good guy. And he's been a decent coordinator. He's an average coordinator. He rode Derrick Henry's coattails to a job in Atlanta where he failed miserably. And now he's designing running plays for Johnnie Smith. What are we doing? What are the Arizona Cardinals thinking?
Why would you waste resources? on an interview with Arthur Smith. I guess that's why they're the Cardinals. I just don't understand.
I don't understand either. I mean, I understand guys who have a role that a lot of people look at and say, well, he's a coordinator. We can deal with him. He has a good philosophy, run football first, whatever.
Chapter 3: How do fans view Tomlin's potential departure?
But as a head coach, he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who would attain what I think you said at the beginning of this program with the next head coach here, some CEO type who's very good at understanding things, communicates, motivates. He doesn't strike me as that kind of a guy.
Bob, where did Limits go? Oh, there he is. He's there. Limits, what did Josina Anderson say about Tomlin?
Yeah, so I'm going to pull up the full thing that she said, but basically regarding Mike Tomlin that there was ā Excuse me, Bob.
I just had two pieces of pizza in like 10 seconds. What was that, a hiccup or a burp? I apologize. God bless you.
But basically what Josina Anderson was indicating, she said, as a league source indicated to me over a week ago, and she'll tweet it now, John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin are at the very top of the Dolphins' wish list at the moment now, after Tomlin experienced some burnout. That Tomlin...
As she tweeted in November, there was a longtime coach that was contemplating a change of scenery, and it was Tomlin, as she's indicated recently.
She says the fact of the matters are, league sources heard that Tomlin was contemplating leaving Pittsburgh even before the season started, adding there's been a belief that Tomlin did not feel appreciated with contingents around the city believing he should be fired.
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Chapter 4: What factors contribute to Mike Tomlin's alleged burnout?
Quote, I would say this has been building gradually for the last three years, the source opined to Josina Anderson.
You know, he can't have been surprised at that development. I had to laugh, and I wrote about this. Aaron Rodgers getting on his soapbox the other day. Oh, it wasn't like this when I came into the league. And I pointed out all the successful coaches who were in the league when he got in who were then fired. And I just saw a Sports Illustrated cover from 1988 today, Bob.
with Chuck Knoll and Tom Landry on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and the headline was, Under Fire. Have two legendary coaches lost their touch. This is the way it's always been. When you don't win the biggest games anymore for a long time, you're under fire. Mike Tomlin not only hasn't won the biggest games for a long time, He's been blown out in the majority of them for almost a decade.
Almost the amount of time that Jimmy Johnson, John Madden, Vince Lombardi, George Allen, and the like had in their entire careers were that long. He's been blown out of virtually every playoff game.
Chapter 5: How does the Steelers' head coaching job compare to other franchises?
And I think what Rodgers is probably referring to without...
acknowledging what he was referring to is that it just there are too many ways now back then there weren't ways there were no social media nobody you heard it but you didn't hear it up close and personal in your face with dms and everything else so now you're hearing it that way that's what's changed nothing has changed with the process i think people are always under fire always you know coaches are hired to be fired essentially they are uh it doesn't matter who you are when it occurs
So, but in keeping what she said there, I think, again, I think the burnout factor, however you want to encapsulate it, had a lot to do with this.
Burnout coming in many forms. In many forms. I mean, I'm sure that away from the field, he was getting messages that nobody would ever want to get in their lives and that they were coming in big batches.
And I think that's part of it that leads to the stress.
And then in the stadium, people chanting to fire him. And I don't blame people chanting to fire him. I don't. I don't think I would participate in that. But we had reached the point where it was just so obviously time. Let's bring on a man to talk about that, Bob. By the way, we're celebrating our Marconi tonight, our Marconi Award at a certain steakhouse.
And I've worn the same jacket twice in three days.
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Chapter 6: What qualities are needed in the next Steelers head coach?
Party foul or no, Bob? It's a nice jacket, so no.
I also believe that if you're in front of a new audience, although this would not qualify as that's the same people you see every day, that why wouldn't you? Yeah. It's a good jacket. Exactly.
Limits, party foul or no?
See you twice.
No, I don't think so. I think it's fine. Jackets don't need to be washed when we wear them, do they? I don't believe so.
Not for a while, unless you spill something on it or something like that.
I agree. Well, thank you for confirming that as a suit connoisseur.
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Chapter 7: What are the potential challenges facing the new head coach?
I still haven't washed my wedding suit from 18 years ago and I still wear it once every three years. Is that okay, Bob?
Yeah, I do this. I mean, there are things that as long as they fit you, the biggest concern is have you outgrown the pants or is the suit too tight?
Kabali, how many suits do you own? Stephen A. Smith told us the other day he owns 43, which is right around where Bob is. Limits and I each have one. How about you?
Zero.
I figured, Bob.
I got a funeral suit. Does that count? The one you wear to funerals?
Yeah. A suit's a suit, Bob, right?
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Chapter 8: How can the Steelers rebuild while maintaining competitiveness?
Yeah, you can wear it anywhere.
Yeah. But you wear it to funerals. That's the only time you pull it out.
Yeah, I think that counts for sure. It's like going to a black tie event. You may only go to one a year, but it's the same one. You wear it every year. Sure.
You could double it as a wedding suit, so...
Absolutely. Yeah, yeah. So big boy. And we have, why isn't he on video? Because he's going down to the press conference. Oh, he's going to the Art Press Conference.
I'm standing outside the press gate right now at Accra Shore Stadium.
You're very dedicated. Oh, the press conference is at the stadium, huh? Yeah, it's at the stadium.
Yeah, Art Rooney will be talking here in about 30 minutes or so.
What do you expect him to say?
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