Mike Tomlin Shares Sign a Team’s Season is ‘Dead’

Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin reveals when he knew a team's season was over.

The Pittsburgh Steelers 2026 season has already been full of ups and downs just five weeks in, and their season could still go either way. However, former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin recently shared how he knew a team's season was over.

"What do you think when your team is having a players-only meeting," Jason Kelce asked on his New Heights podcast .

"I think you're dead," Tomlin stated. "If it did occur, I'd like to not hear about it. The fact that you hear about it is what makes it B.S."

Coach Tomlin knows, if your team is having a players-only meeting your season is COOKED NEW EPISODE OUT NOW !!!! @allstate pic.twitter.com/s7BxDm4Hsg — New Heights (@newheightshow) October 14, 2026

Coach Tomlin knows, if your team is having a players-only meeting your season is COOKED NEW EPISODE OUT NOW !!!! @allstate pic.twitter.com/s7BxDm4Hsg

New Heights (@newheightshow) October 14, 2026

Now, Tomlin wasn't specifically talking about the Steelers . In fact, he was talking about the Dallas Cowboys, whose defense reportedly had a players-only meeting following their latest Week 5 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

However, the Steelers are still connected in a way, given their recent trade relationship with the Cowboys, sending offensive tackle Broderick Jones , wide receiver George Pickens , and most recently, cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to Dallas.

The Cowboys now sit in third place in the NFC East with a 2-3 record, adding to the old sentiment that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

Tomlin didn't delve any deeper into the matter of players-only meetings and if any of the teams he has coached over the years had one.

But he certainly makes a strong point about the state of the team if it feels as though it needs to resort to a meeting without the coaches.