PM Team FULL Show 1-16-26

What was the real reason why Mike Tomlin left the Steelers? Did it have to do with all on-field stuff? Was it the lack of playoff success in the final decade? What was the dynamic between Tomlin and Art Rooney in the end? We still don’t know if Tomlin stepped away more for personal reasons or football reasons. The guys talked about the weird motion of Tomlin opting to not do an exit press conference after nearly 2 decades on the sideline.

Packers insider Pete Dougherty from the Green Bay Press-Gazette joined the show. Pete thinks the Steelers could be won over by Jeff Hafley and his charisma in the interview process. Pete said it may not be in Pittsburgh, but he would be pretty surprised if Hafley doesn't get a head coach job in this cycle. Pete mentioned a few offensive coaches that could come along with Hafley if he gets hired. How are things with Matt LaFleur and the Packers, who could be closing in on an impasse? Will the second half collapse against the Bears impact the Packers’ coaches going forward? Pete described Malik Willis as a ‘godsend’ to the Packers this season when Jordan Love went down, but can he work in any offense?

Steelers correspondent Mark Kaboly from The Pat McAfee Show joined the show. The conversation started with Mark’s days at Cal U, aka, Harvard on the Mon. Kaboom said he went to a lot of bowling alley bars back in the day. Mark has moved on to the coaching search and how Art Rooney and Omar Khan will handle this. Mark expects Khan to have ‘a lot of say’ in the process. Mark feels like it will be a coach from the same cloth that Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin were cut from – mid-30’s, first-time head coach and *possibly* defensive minded. Mark believes Art’s son, Danny Rooney, will have input in the choice. Mark said right now Chris Shula feels like the favorite to be the next guy, just based on their history and the list of coaches they will interview. Mark said if they go with the defensive mind, that guy better have a young, offensive mind with him or have a really convincing plan to change the offense. Where does Nate Scheelhaase rank on Mark’s list? Mark got into the challenges of commanding a room and being the ‘leader of men’ it takes to be a head coach. Mark said Brian Flores was an intimidating figure and that players were ‘afraid’ of him.

More w/ Mark – There will, reportedly, be 3-4 more names added to the Steelers list of interviews. Mark feels like the initial 8 names are their main targets, but that’s not to say the new ones can’t surprise. Mark said Mike McCarthy is too old and hasn’t coached in a minute, which makes him feel like they should stay away. If there isn’t interest in Curt Cignetti, what about Norwin and Pitt product Mike Shanahan? Kaboom thinks Kevin Stefanski would be a ‘great’ fit here because it’s not Cleveland. Does Brian Flores have more options than Pittsburgh to be a head coach? What would be the pros and cons of a tank?

More w/ Mark – Mark reacted to the stories of how the players reacted when Mike Tomlin told them he was stepping down. Kaboom is skeptical just how good Tomlin will be on television and if he’s even all that interested. Mark isn’t all that sure if he coaches again, but said the right situation would always do the job. Kaboly said Mike seemed like the same guy to him and wasn’t ‘worn out’ like a lot of people are saying. What could the staff look like under a new head coach? Kaboom thinks the entire QB room is up in the air, outside of Will Howard, who will serve as a backup at-best. Does Mark have any interest in Malik Willis? Mark felt like Cam Heyward may have hinted at retirement during the season, but his level of play would say otherwise. Is it time to trade TJ Watt? The guys asked Mark if he had any thoughts on the James Harrison disdain for Tomlin. Who was the big-name player that wasn’t upset over the Tomlin news? Mark doesn’t think it will be that much longer before the Steelers hire their guy.

Did Chris step all over Donny’s big moment of breaking the news of Mike Tomlin stepping down? We broke down the tape. More calls on the future of the Steelers.

Former Steelers Super Bowl champion Bryant McFadden joined the show. BMac isn’t afraid of the Steelers future because they have proven multiple times they can get the hire right. Bryant is looking for a ‘leader of men’ more than an X’s & O’s savant when it comes to a head coach. The guys asked BMac about some of the HC candidates out there and what he loves/hates about their work. BMac talked about the lack of playmakers in the offense and why that has continued to be a shortcoming over the last few seasons. He said Kenneth Gainwell needs to come back and the QB is the elephant in the room. Bryant likes what they have brewing on the offensive line. BMac isn’t sure what is in the future for Cam Heyward, but he doesn’t think Cam ever plays anywhere else. BMac predicted Chris Shula would be the next head coach.

The funny thought of Art Rooney II going on Donny’s bachelor party. Is anyone on the staff good at chugging beer? More calls on the Steelers future.

Poni is still coming down from the high he got once we heard the news of Mike Tomlin stepping down after Monday night’s loss to the Texans. He said it’s fun that we actually get to talk about this and it’s not all just a hypothetical this time. Should we be as excited as we are though? The guys talked about people having second thoughts. What would we prefer – previewing a game or having the chance to talk about the next head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers?

Are callers ready to tell us to be careful what we wish for?

Fair Game w/ Farabaugh – Steelers insider Nick Farabaugh from Penn Live dot com joined the show. Nick thinks it’s fair to say that either of the Rams coaches (Chris Shula & Nate Scheelhaase) could end up being the next head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He said they love the Sean McVay tree and people connected to his staff. Nick expects the Steelers to trend toward a younger coach, that hasn’t been a head coach yet, and also don’t have to have a defensive background. Nick believes the Steelers job is a better one than the Dolphins job, which could be another spot for Shula in this cycle. Nick isn’t sure if Scheelhaase is hired this time around, but the Browns are a team to watch if he’s not offered by the Steelers. Nick isn’t over-the-moon about Ejiro Evero as a Mike Tomlin replacement, but Anthony Weaver is one that hasn’t gotten enough love so far. Nick also feels like Robert Saleh should be considered for this job, even though the Steelers have yet to request an interview with him. Would Jesse Minter be a fit in Pittsburgh? Nick isn’t fired up over Jeff Hafley, who is interviewing here today. Nick buys into what Art Rooney said the other day – that the Steelers will not go through a full rebuild.

Packers insider Pete Dougherty from the Green Bay Press-Gazette joined the show. Pete thinks the Steelers could be won over by Jeff Hafley and his charisma in the interview process. Pete said it may not be in Pittsburgh, but he would be pretty surprised if Hafley doesn't get a head coach job in this cycle. Pete mentioned a few offensive coaches that could come along with Hafley if he gets hired. How are things with Matt LaFleur and the Packers, who could be closing in on an impasse? Will the second half collapse against the Bears impact the Packers’ coaches going forward? Pete described Malik Willis as a ‘godsend’ to the Packers this season when Jordan Love went down, but can he work in any offense?

Former Steelers Super Bowl champion Bryant McFadden joined the show. BMac isn’t afraid of the Steelers future because they have proven multiple times they can get the hire right. Bryant is looking for a ‘leader of men’ more than an X’s & O’s savant when it comes to a head coach. The guys asked BMac about some of the HC candidates out there and what he loves/hates about their work. BMac talked about the lack of playmakers in the offense and why that has continued to be a shortcoming over the last few seasons. He said Kenneth Gainwell needs to come back and the QB is the elephant in the room. Bryant likes what they have brewing on the offensive line. BMac isn’t sure what is in the future for Cam Heyward, but he doesn’t think Cam ever plays anywhere else. BMac predicted Chris Shula would be the next head coach.

Fair Game w/ Farabaugh – Steelers insider Nick Farabaugh from Penn Live dot com joined the show. Nick thinks it’s fair to say that either of the Rams coaches (Chris Shula & Nate Scheelhaase) could end up being the next head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He said they love the Sean McVay tree and people connected to his staff. Nick expects the Steelers to trend toward a younger coach, that hasn’t been a head coach yet, and also don’t have to have a defensive background. Nick believes the Steelers job is a better one than the Dolphins job, which could be another spot for Shula in this cycle. Nick isn’t sure if Scheelhaase is hired this time around, but the Browns are a team to watch if he’s not offered by the Steelers. Nick isn’t over-the-moon about Ejiro Evero as a Mike Tomlin replacement, but Anthony Weaver is one that hasn’t gotten enough love so far. Nick also feels like Robert Saleh should be considered for this job, even though the Steelers have yet to request an interview with him. Would Jesse Minter be a fit in Pittsburgh? Nick isn’t fired up over Jeff Hafley, who is interviewing here today. Nick buys into what Art Rooney said the other day – that the Steelers will not go through a full rebuild.

Poni is still coming down from the high he got once we heard the news of Mike Tomlin stepping down after Monday night’s loss to the Texans. He said it’s fun that we actually get to talk about this and it’s not all just a hypothetical this time. Should we be as excited as we are though? The guys talked about people having second thoughts. What would we prefer – previewing a game or having the chance to talk about the next head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers?

PM Team FULL Show 1-15-26