Mike Tomlin‘s tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers is the stuff of NFL legend, culminating in his resignation in January 2026 after 19 seasons leading the franchise. But across nearly two decades as head coach, which team was the best he ever coached?
He was asked in a recent interview about the very best team he ever coached. “Former Steelers HC Mike Tomlin says the best team he coached was the 2015 Steelers, who went 10-6 and lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Broncos in the Divisional Round,” The 33rd Team posted on X. Tomlin revealed that fact in an interview with The Today Show on NBC.
Tomlin stepped down from the Steelers after the 2025 campaign. Many Steelers fans wanted him fired, but Pittsburgh’s front office expressed that they were hoping to keep him on for another season. Tomlin left the Steelers after appearing in two Super Bowls. He won the Super Bowl during the 2008 season by defeating the Arizona Cardinals, while Pittsburgh lost the Super Bowl a few years later to the Green Bay Packers.
The team Tomlin named
Tomlin chose the 2015 Steelers as his best team. The choice comes as a surprise, given that his 2008 squad won the Super Bowl and the 2010 team reached the championship game before losing to the Green Bay Packers. The 2015 team fell in the Divisional Round and failed to win the AFC North.
Mike Tomlin during a Pittsburgh Steelers match.
The former head coach noted that he chose the 2015 team due to its overall roster talent. The team’s major obstacle was injuries, as both Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown missed the Divisional Round game against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.
Their absences dealt a severe blow and placed the offense in a difficult situation against Denver. Martavis Bryant led the team in both rushing and receiving during the 23-16 loss. Fitzgerald Toussaint served as the primary replacement for Bell, recording 12 carries.
Bell appeared in only six games that season due to a suspension and an NFL season-ending knee injury, while Brown posted the best year of his career, accumulating 1,834 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Fans will remember Brown’s injury in the Wild Card Round, when Cincinnati Bengals defender Vontaze Burfict delivered a brutal hit to his head. That entire sequence allowed the Steelers to win the game in the final moments following a series of defensive penalties.
