bv. For nearly two decades, Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh defined one of the NFL’s fiercest rivalries — and now it’s over. Tomlin’s emotional reaction to Harbaugh’s firing reveals why this moment hits far deeper than just another coaching change.

Tuesday marked the end of an era. Not directly for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but for the team’s head coach Mike Tomlin’s greatest rival.

The Baltimore Ravens fired head coach John Harbaugh on Tuesday evening. His departure marks the end of an 18-year tenure.

While making a guest appearance on The Rich Eisen Show a day after Harbaugh’s firing, Tomlin shared his reaction to Baltimore’s coaching staff change.

“I just have so much respect for Harbs. Our stories will forever be interwoven. This rivalry that we’ve been fortunate and honored enough to be a part of,” Tomlin told Eisen. “I just got so much respect for him and how he’s gone about his business, and we’ve certainly had some legendary battles over the years.

“In terms of him being let go, unfortunately, I just think it’s a component of today’s sport culture. And so, there’ve been many examples of that, and so it’s unfortunate, but I’m sure that he is gonna move on.

“If he chooses to coach again, I’m sure he will, and I’m sure he’ll be very successful at doing so.”

Before Tuesday, Harbaugh was the closest in longevity to Tomlin. The Steelers head coach has been in Pittsburgh since 2007.

Over 18 years, Tomlin and Harbaugh met 40 times, which set a new modern-day NFL record for most matchups between two head coaches. Tomlin posted a 23-17 record against Harbaugh.

On Sunday, the Steelers defeated Harbaugh 26-24 in what was his final game with the Ravens.

Mike Tomlin Shares Thoughts on ‘Sport Culture’

In his conversation with Eisen, Tomlin offered a little more on why the Ravens might have moved on from Harbaugh.

“More than anything, I just think it’s a larger example of today’s sport culture in terms of not a lot of patience in the entertainment component in what it is that we do,” Tomlin added. “There’s just not a lot of longevity. I’m sure we’d all like to be Don Shula and Tom Landry, but I think those days are gone.”

While that’s a fair point, it’s important to note that of all the NFL coaches to be fired thus far this offseason, Harbaugh has the least amount to complain about from a “patience” standpoint. The Ravens have had a two-time MVP and three-time first-team All-Pro quarterback the past eight years yet no Super Bowl appearances to show for it.

Eisen didn’t address that aspect of Tomlin’s comment, but he pushed back a little on the idea there’s no longevity in the NFL. Eisen pointed to Tomlin himself as Exhibit A.

Tomlin responded saying he’s far from Shula or Landry.

Granted, it’s all relative. But Tomlin is the longest-tenured head coach in American sports. He’s the definition of modern-day longevity.

Tomlin just completed his 19th season with the Steelers. To have greater support from the fan base, he needs to win more playoff games. But it’s not inconceivable to think Tomlin could one day reach Shula or Landry status.

Entering 2026, Tomlin will be four seasons shy of tying Chuck Noll’s record of 23 seasons as Steelers head coach. On Sunday, Tomlin tied Noll’s record-season wins total of 193.

Did John Harbaugh Lose the Ravens Locker Room?

Lack of patience very likely was not the reason why the Ravens moved on from Harbaugh. The true reasons behind the firing are beginning to come to light in the media.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday that Harbaugh was losing support among the Baltimore players.

“Among the reasons — it is not just that they didn’t go far enough in the playoffs — my understand after talking to several sources involved is that, simply, Harbaugh lost the locker room,” Rapoport said, via Steelers Depot’s Matthew Marczi. “At the end, players just simply had doubts about whether they wanted to play for him as their head coach.

“The opinions of players was valued here. It was listened to; it went to all levels, and it was not just Lamar Jackson.”

It will be interesting to see what else comes out on the Ravens-Harbaugh divorcee. However, it could take months or even years for the full story to surface.

Even someone like Tomlin isn’t likely to know the whole story. That’s why it makes sense the Steelers head coach pointed to something general like “sport culture” rather than tried to offer specifics about another NFL organization.