Le’Veon Bell posts curious message to Mike Tomlin after Steelers exit

Le’Veon Bell knows what it feels like to be pushed out of Pittsburgh.

The retired ex-Steelers star offered up some words of advice for his former head coach, Mike Tomlin, after he stepped away from the team following 19 seasons in Pittsburgh.

“Go to where (you’re) celebrated Coach T,” the former Pro Bowl running back, who has most recently been competing as a boxer in Jake Paul’s boxing promotion, said in a post on X.

Tomlin was not fired or let go by the Steelers.

His rights are still held by the team, and he may be looking to take a break from coaching. If he decided to keep coaching, a team would need to acquire his rights in a trade.

Where Tomlin ends up from here is the bigger topic of conversation.

Many, including ESPN’s Peter Schrager, have postulated that Tomlin could head to the television booth, where he would be welcomed with open arms by television executives looking to make a splash.

Tomlin could surely go elsewhere and feel like a rockstar, with nine head-coaching jobs available; any team would roll out the red carpet, as the Giants are currently doing for ex-Ravens coach John Harbaugh.

Bell’s comments, referring to Tomlin being underappreciated by the Steelers organization, are a far cry from the statement that the team released after he decided to exit.

However, Bell knows a thing or two about being given the cold shoulder from the Steelers.

Bell held out the entire 2018 season, forfeiting his salary rather than play in Pittsburgh in an ugly standoff.

He left the team in the offseason, signing a big contract with the Jets before the 2019 campaign.

Tomlin won the Super Bowl in 2009 and had plenty of success with the Steelers, but has fallen on hard times of late as his teams have had less than stellar quarterback play since Ben Roethlisberger left his prime.

Tomlin had a winning record with Justin Fields and Russell Wilson as his starting quarterbacks in 2024, but Pittsburgh has lost its last seven playoff games.