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Good morning! Move the fences in today. Coming up:
Farewells: Processing the end of the Tomlin Era
We wrote a long missive yesterday about a legendary figure who possibly participated in his final NFL game in Pittsburgh’s blowout loss to Houston on Monday. Turns out we were talking about the wrong guy.
Aaron Rodgers has made no decision on his future yet, but Steelers coach Mike Tomlin did yesterday: He is stepping away as Pittsburgh’s head coach after 19 seasons in charge. It is, on the macro level, a shock. But to many Steelers fans, it was expected and maybe even appreciated.
Before we get to the necessary facets of this story, I want to start with his eye-popping legacy:
- Tomlin spent 19 years as head coach, the seventh-longest tenure in NFL history. The Steelers produced zero losing seasons in that time frame, which is just unbelievable.
- The franchise will hire just its fourth head coach in the last 57 years. Tomlin logged 19 years, Bill Cowher before him put in 15 years and Chuck Noll lasted 23 seasons prior to that. Impossible.
- As Scoop City’s Jacob Robinson told me yesterday, the Browns and Raiders have employed 42 head coaches in that time frame … and both franchises will add to that list this offseason.
Gary W. Green / Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Tomlin, still just 53, should find quick work in TV. And as our friends at “The Athletic Football Show” mentioned this week, maybe Tomlin takes the Sean Payton route: one year off, then back to coaching.
Two more thoughts before we move on:
- This is probably as amicably as this setup could end. For all of that sustained excellence, Pittsburgh under Tomlin has lost its last seven playoff games and has zero postseason wins since 2016. The floor was high, but the ceiling was lower than it should be.
- If Tomlin never stepped onto another NFL sideline, he might still be a Hall of Famer. He’s ninth all-time in wins and has a Super Bowl ring. But as Mike Sando also writes in today’s Scoop City, out later this morning, the HOF bar is higher now for coaches. Subscribe to Scoop here.
Nonetheless, it’s the end of one of the best coaching runs in NFL history. Mike DeFabo has ideas on who might coach the next two decades in Pittsburgh, too.
Let’s move on:
News to Know
Diamondbacks trade for Arenado
The Cardinals finally traded third baseman Nolan Arenado, ending a saga that has lasted more than a year. The 34-year-old heads to Arizona to bolster a team that has playoff hopes, and leaves a situation in St. Louis where a rebuild is top of mind. You may remember Arenado nixing a trade to Houston last season. Catch up on the full backstory here.
Favorites emerge for Harbaugh
The Giants, Falcons and Titans are early leaders to hire John Harbaugh, sources told The Athletic yesterday, and it comes as no surprise. Both New York and Tennessee have surefire starting quarterbacks in the building already, and many are still convinced that Michael Penix Jr. could be the long-term option in Atlanta. See the full intel here. Other NFL coaching news from yesterday:
- Harbaugh’s brother, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, fired offensive coordinator Greg Roman yesterday. Philadelphia OC Kevin Patullo is also out of a job. Probably the right move in both places.
- In what I thought was a very cool story, Packers coach Matt LaFleur told The Athletic’s Michael Silver that he was “speechless” after former Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers stuck up for his former coach Monday. See that convo here.
Davis won’t have surgery
Anthony Davis has opted against surgery on his injured left hand, refuting an ESPN report from earlier in the day that the ailing forward would have a procedure and miss multiple months. The decision comes at a precarious time, with Dallas lagging in the standings and Davis standing out as a trade chip the Mavs should use before the Feb. 5 deadline. It’s kind of a mess.
More news
Watch Guide
📺 Soccer: Arsenal at Chelsea
3 p.m. ET on Paramount+
The other Carabao Cup semifinal, again between two flashy Premier League clubs. Arsenal leads the EPL table while Chelsea is in a season of change. A win for new manager Liam Rosenior would be massive. If you’re around, turn it on.
📺 NBA: Cavaliers at 76ers
7 p.m. ET on ESPN
A good game between Eastern Conference playoff teams. Both are on the bubble of contention in our latest Power Rankings.
📺 NHL: Flyers at Sabres
7:30 p.m. ET on TNT and HBO Max
Both of these teams are nice surprises this year, contending and tied in the standings with 52 points apiece. Buffalo is surging. Philadelphia, though, faces pressure — it’s a playoffs-or-bust year, no matter what management says.
Get tickets to games like this here.
Pulse Picks
Tyrese Haliburton has never felt more alone than in the months following his brutal Achilles tendon tear in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. It’s led to an incredible time of growth. His honesty in this story really struck me.
Zach Chu, just 33, has never been a head coach at any level of basketball before. Radford hired him anyway, and the experiment Chu is running is fascinating. Make time for this one.
Our college football writers each picked their personal game of the year for the 2025 season. I always forget like five of the classic games that happen each year.
Rio Foster is supposed to be preparing for the upcoming baseball season as one of the top prospects in the Angels system. Instead, after a devastating car accident, he’s trying to fight for any shred of his old life — and hoping for some help from his former employer.
We have the full story on Sam Salvo, the hilarious 11-year-old Eagles fan who went viral after a local TV interview following Philadelphia’s loss over the weekend. Such a fun piece.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our interview with the reporter who went viral for her congratulatory message for Jaguars coach Liam Coen over the weekend.
Most-read on the website yesterday: The Mike Tomlin news story.
📫 That’s all for now! Say hello at thepulse@theathletic.com, and check out our other newsletters.