RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesFor nearly two decades, Mike Tomlin was the steadying anchor of the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise. But as the team endured years of postseason frustration, former Steelers safety Ryan Clark found himself facing one of the most agonizing moments of his broadcasting career: suggesting on national television that Pittsburgh and Tomlin needed a mutual fresh start.
Appearing on the “ Not Just Football with Cam Heyward ” podcast with his former teammate, Cameron Heyward, Clark opened up about the emotional toll of offering that critique.
"One of the hardest things I did in TV was maybe a year or two ago, saying I thought that the Steelers and Mike Tomlin should have a conversation about him leaving. I was very clear, I was like, Mike Tomlin is unfireable, I don’t believe he should be fired. But I do believe that maybe the Steelers and Mike T, if a Super Bowl is the goal, could benefit from a conversation about is this the right thing going forward," Clark explained.
The comment triggered intense backlash from both ends of a divided fan base.
"In the same conversation I got from the people that hated him, ‘What you mean he's unfireable?’ And then from the people that loved him, ‘You said Coach should be fired!’ Tell me how those two things correlate, you dummies," Clark noted.
Beyond navigating public outrage, Clark prioritized addressing the take privately with former teammates like James Harrison before airing differences. Clark acknowledged how difficult it was to watch someone he admired be broken down by someone he also admired.
"I called Deebo. He knows I have an issue with it. He don’t care. He cares enough to have the conversation and to tell me why he feels what he feels. The first time James hears me say I disagree with the way he's approaching this will not be on social media or on the show. It will be because I called him or I texted him and we talked about it," Clark said.
For Clark, offering critique was never about disloyalty, but honoring his duty as an analyst while respecting a coach who shaped his life.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Why criticizing Mike Tomlin was Ryan Clark's hardest TV take
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