By mid-2015, the Pittsburgh Steelers squad had already gotten into three notable fights. But on the very first day of the minicamp in June, the tempers flared way too early for HC Mike Tomlin. Towards the end of the training, reportedly, the then-sixth year DE, Clifton Geathers trying to fill in for Stephon Tuitt, tried to push the offense harder, who per OG Ramon Foster “Just played 96 snaps Sunday.” And when he landed one lineman to the ground, the O-line took exception to it. One in particular was Center Maurkice Pouncey, who was seen throwing punches on the DE, who later simply said, “Let’s put it this way, I wasn’t on the bottom.” Tomlin downplayed the entire scuffle because, “It’s football.” But as Christina Rivers of the Steel City Underground put it, “Some would argue that he’s placed too much faith in certain individuals to his own downfall.”

That fight, almost a decade ago, was not the only time that Mike’s offense and defense got against each other. In fact, just one month down the line then, a lot would’ve changed. During another practice scrimmage in August, Geathers went down with a season-ending injury to his neck. And shortly after, going into his bedroom one day, the HC and Kevin Colbert, “told me I should pat myself on the back – that I made it this far but had played my last down. My neck was messed up – they told me if I played another down I could be paralyzed.” Per Geathers, who “didn’t realize how bad it was” had fought with the pain for a week until he had to stop. But that injury was not just any, it might have been the cause-effect reaction of Tomlin’s loyalty to his players, which does have its upsides too.

For one, he got respect from his star center Pouncey, when in 2023, the HC confessed, “It’s probably one of my biggest regrets professionally that Maurkice Pouncey, for example, is not a world champion because that guy is.” Pouncey did not take long to revert the love back to the coach who “made me a champion at life.” But being in the position of a players’ coach is not always as fruitful. That same loyalty now stands accused of costing Geathers his short-lived NFL career that ended not with retirement, but with a broken neck sustained during that Steelers practice. And, according to him, it was no accident.

“I was going to be starting for Tuitt when I hurt my neck in practice before the Hall of Fame game. I was told just recently by my old college roommate who is friends with former players that he heard I was actually targeted by Pouncey there. He had an issue with me for some reason.”

Geathers further elaborated on the tensions during practice: “I did get into fights with the linemen there. It was in the papers – I got into a big fight with the offensive line early on in practice and beat the crap out of them.”  However, amid it all, he specifically pointed out Pouncey’s actions: “Pouncey and I  -and Incognito too- we just didn’t get along. Pouncey would go after my ACL – I was fighting for my life against him.”

Despite the struggles, Geathers shared that just before the incident that ended his NFL career, “Tomlin told me he respected me – that I made myself valuable and that I had a chance to start before I got injured.” That validation now haunts him.

It’s a tale of two legacies: One man hailed as a warrior, a brother, a champion of the locker room. The other left broken and forgotten, trying to piece together a new life on a farm in South Carolina, “living in the woods near a lake and looking to work on the horticulture here – trying to holistically heal my body…I’m here on my own trying to start up a B&B or retreat here.” All this while watching his alleged aggressor bask in public glory.

But does Tomlin truly leave some of his men behind in trenches and treat others like kings? Aaron Rodgers’ case could help answer that.

When Mike Tomlin waits, Legends answer: Rodgers tips his hand at last

Aaron Rodgers might be the future Pouncey, and based on recent hints, that future may already be underway. Rodgers has been dancing around the Steelers connection for years. He is currently a 41-year-old free agent who raved about Pittsburgh sandwiches, Mike Tomlin, and the team’s culture in 2021. It was like a football crush at the time. But now, in 2025, it feels like a chess move.

A kid asked Rodgers if he would ever play for the Bears in a video that went viral this past weekend. He replied, “No! But, I believe, there’s a team that might play in Chicago this year… I love Chicago, though. Way more than they can love me.” Steelers fans noticed right away that Pittsburgh would be playing in Chicago this season when Schefter shared the video, and they began their usual tinfoil-hat decoding. This time, though, the dots are starting to connect.

Tomlin and Rodgers reportedly had a “productive meeting” before when owner Art Rooney II reaffirmed that they would be willing to stick around longer, despite his statement in April that they wouldn’t “wait forever.” A quarterback is not all that Rodgers is. He is a brand. And it’s probably not for nothing if he’s grinning about Pittsburgh.

So, the loyalty of Mike Tomlin is legendary. He is a master at energizing locker rooms. However, tales such as Clifton Geathers’ illustrate the price of being a wolf in Tomlin’s jungle, particularly when the alpha dogs are shielded. But one of the best quarterbacks of the modern age may soon be enticed by that same loyalty. In Pittsburgh, Mike is still the center of everything, whether you’re whispering ideas in the summer or battling for your life in practice.