The rivalry between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens was defined by their two fearless head coaches for nearly twenty years. That era came to an abrupt end with John Harbaugh’s exit from Baltimore after the team failed to make the playoffs in 2025. With that, Mike Tomlin now stands as the lone remaining figure from that long-standing rivalry. Apparently, there is an underlying approach that has played a role in his long tenure. 

“First, I just have so much respect for Harbs,” Mike Tomlin said recently on The Rich Eisen Show. “Our stories will forever be interwoven. This rivalry that we’ve been fortunate and honored enough to be a part of. Unfortunately, I just think it’s a component of today’s sports culture… Not a lot of patience, and the entertainment component of what it is that we do. There’s just not a lot of longevity.”

“I’m certainly really appreciative of the work environment I’ve been in for 19 years. But I’m tunnel-visioned. NFL playing careers are very short, and I can’t seek comfort in my longevity. I work with guys who have very short careers, and I just tend to try to always mirror that urgency. I think it’s disrespectful not to have that level of urgency when I lead these guys.”

That mindset explains why Tomlin is still standing while so many other coaches, like Harbaugh, have fallen.

Until his dismissal, Harbaugh ranked second among active NFL head coaches in the league with 18 seasons. He was signed with Baltimore through 2028 before getting fired just two days after the Ravens lost 26-24 to the Steelers this past Sunday.

Mike Tomlin believes that if Harbaugh chooses to coach again, he’ll be very successful at doing so. In his statements, he also expressed concern over how little patience many NFL coaches are shown in their tenures. 

In nearly two decades, Mike Tomlin’s team has won the AFC North eight times, and Harbaugh’s team has made it there six times. That’s dominance on both ends; it’s hard to imagine that Tomlin will ever see a rivalry like this again in the NFL.

But while Harbaugh and Tomlin have both won a Super Bowl, more than ten years have passed since then. And the playoff losses have piled up in recent years. In fact, several reports said that the Week 18 Steelers-Ravens game this season turned into a survival match for the head coaches of both teams. 

Once Pittsburgh won the Week 18 game 26–24, the decision became unavoidable for the Ravens. That loss knocked Baltimore out of the playoffs for the first time since 2021. It also cost them the AFC North title and capped an 8-9 season. Shortly after, the Ravens cut ties with Harbaugh. So, Mike Tomlin’s words only underscored just how difficult it is to be an NFL coach in current times. 

NFL’s head coaching turnover is on the rise this season

Coaching turnover has always been part of the NFL for years, but now it feels relentless. About 25% of head coaching jobs change hands every year in the NFL. On average, seven coaches lose their jobs per cycle, but even before the 2025 season playoffs start, that number has already been reached.

Some NFL teams even made earlier moves in the regular season to cut ties with their HC. The Tennessee Titans fired Brian Callahan after he led the team to a 1-5 start in the 2025 season. Later, the New York Giants let go of Brian Daboll when they fell to 2-8. 

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Then, once the 2025 regular season wrapped, the Atlanta Falcons fired Raheem Morris. The Cleveland Browns followed by dismissing Kevin Stefanski after a 5-12 record to finish the season. On the same day, while the Arizona Cardinals fired Jonathan Gannon, the Las Vegas Raiders also moved on from Pete Carroll after he spent just one year with the franchise. 

But the real shocker came on January 6 as the Ravens fired John Harbaugh after he spent 18 seasons with the team. Ultimately, Harbaugh’s firing left Mike Tomlin alone at the top as the league’s most experienced active HC. After Tomlin, only Kansas City Chiefs’ HC Andy Reid has been with his current team since 2013.

But even Mike Tomlin knows the reality that he’s miles away from being like former HCs like Tom Landry or Don Shula. The league simply does not work that way anymore, so the clock is ticking even over Tomlin’s time in Pittsburgh.