The Pittsburgh Steelers have embraced a new era after the departure of Mike Tomlin earlier this year, but he continues to take the heat despite a remarkable 19-year career at Acrisure Stadium. The team’s continuous playoff disappointments for one season after another were a clear warning sign, and it could be tied to how he assessed players based on their draft numbers over raw talent. A former Steelers player recently fired back at the former coach over this decision.

“This just ain’t true coach, with all due respect,” said Breiden Fehoko on X, replying to a post implying that the draft position holds little significance. “Lol Mike Tomlin told me straight up the reason I didn’t have a helmet in Pittsburgh was because the guy in front of me was a third-rounder. Being drafted absolutely matters.”

Breiden Fehoko had a career of over two years at the Yellow and Black under Mike Tomlin. Although the nose tackle was part of the squad, he did not have the opportunity to wear the helmet. Throughout his career in Pittsburgh, he was primarily part of the practice squad, adding depth.

While he had a stint of three years with the Los Angeles Chargers prior to arriving at Acrisure Stadium, he was initially undrafted in the 2020 draft before being roped by the Chargers. Given that Fehoko had only 4 starts from 19 games and 36 career tackles with no sacks, the former coach perceived him as the backup option to add depth to the roster.

The third-round defensive tackle Fehoko referred to was perhaps Montravius Adams, who was picked in the 2017 draft and enjoyed a veteran status playing for the Steelers between 2021 and 2024. Before the Steelers, he suited up for the Green Bay Packers, the New England Patriots, and the New Orleans Saints. Moreover, he had an edge in experience over Fehoko, playing 50 NFL games previously, putting him in the driving seat to be Tomlin’s first-choice backup option.

While Fehoko was the third-string nose tackle for Tomlin, Keeanu Benton, a second-round pick from the 2023 Draft, became Tomlin’s preferred choice. After starting 9 games in his rookie season, he became Tomlin’s most trusted nose tackle in the final two seasons of his Steelers career, starting 31 of the 34 games. He is likely to bear the same responsibility under the new coach, Mike McCarthy.

Meanwhile, Fehoko joins the list of former Steelers players who have not shied away from criticizing Mike Tomlin and his coaching tactics over the years.

Other Ex-Steelers players criticized Tomlin and his coaching decisions

When Mike Tomlin won the Super Bowl in his second season as head coach in the 2008 campaign, he cemented his legacy. Considering he was only 36 and became the youngest head coach to attain the feat at that time, more championship glories were expected from him with the Yellow and Black, but he failed to pull off the same feat again in the subsequent 17 years in Pittsburgh. He reached the playoffs six times since 2017 but failed to reach beyond the divisional round, and his coaching decisions came under scrutiny from other former players.

Ben Roethlisberger, who played 15 of his 18 NFL campaigns under Tomlin and won two Super Bowl honors, stated earlier this year that the 54-year-old should have been more strict with younger players on the roster.

“Early on, he cracked the whip on everybody, veterans, young guys. Veterans got away with some stuff, which is probably ok,” said Roethlisberger on his podcast Channel Seven. “Then almost to the point where even young guys could get away with some stuff,” Roethlisberger said.

Even though the former quarterback did not mention the names of such young players who became part of the leniency of Tomlin, the likes of George Pickens and Kenny Pickett could be two possible examples.

Stevenson Sylvester, who played for the Steelers from 2010 to 2013 as a linebacker, was recently vocal about the Super Bowl-winning coach’s micromanagement, which reportedly created dysfunction in Pittsburgh.

“He would try to do the defensive coordinator’s job,” said Sylvester to Steelers Now earlier this month. “The linebacker coach’s job, and it wouldn’t leave time for those guys to do their job. That created dysfunction.”

Sylvester pointed out that in his initial two seasons (2010 and 2011), the team maintained impressive records of 12-4, but once veterans like James Farrior, Hines Ward, and Aaron Smith departed, Tomlin failed to find answers in his other players or his assistants, leading to the dysfunction within the team after he tried to leave his handprint all over the team. As a result, the franchise missed the postseason in the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

Despite the criticism surrounding him, he remains one of the greatest coaches in the league. After almost two decades in Pittsburgh, the 54-year-old has paused his coaching duties and will start his broadcasting role with NBC.