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Mike Tomlin’s decision to step down as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly left numerous players feeling very emotional, including quarterback Aaron Rodgers. According to reports, the future Hall of Fame QB was “sobbing” when Tomlin announced his decision.
Following their embarrassing AFC Wild Card Round loss at home to the Houston Texans, Mike Tomlin stepped down as the team’s head coach after 19 seasons in charge.
According to reports from The Athletic, that news left key figures in the locker room — such as Aaron Rodgers, TJ Watt and Joey Porter Jr. — with Rodgers even being brought to tears.
Aaron Rodgers was reportedly sobbing and apologizing after Mike Tomlin announced he was stepping down as the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach
“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.'”
“‘No. No. No. No. No,’ TJ Watt kept repeating over and over, his eyes welling with tears as Tomlin continued his speech. As Tomlin spoke, Joey Porter Jr. was almost hyperventilating. The son of a Steelers legend, he has known the coach longer than almost anyone in the locker room and grew up with Tomlin’s son, Dino. In some ways, Tomlin is more like an uncle than a coach to Porter.” [via The Athletic]
Some of Rodgers’ emotions may have come from the fact that Tomlin returning to the Steelers’ would have been key in paving the way for him to return to the team, too. With the Steelers heading in a new direction, that may mean a change at the quarterback position, too, which is exactly what happened to Rodgers last year when the Jets hired Aaron Glenn and ultimately cut him.