Aaron Rodgers Was Sobbing After Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin Told Team He Was Leaving: Report

NEED TO KNOW

• Aaron Rodgers got emotional when hearing the news that head coach Mike Tomlin was leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers
• Rodgers, 42, played one season for Tomlin and the franchise
• Other players, including TJ Watt, broke down when they learned of Tomlin's departure

The mood inside the Pittsburgh Steelers meeting room was “like a funeral” after head coach Mike Tomlin told his team that he was stepping down — and quarterback Aaron Rodgers was among the players who got emotional after hearing the news.

Rodgers — who staunchly defended the coach throughout the season, including hours earlier after the team lost in the wild-card playoff game to the Houston Texans — told Tomlin “I’m sorry” repeatedly as he sobbed, according to a report in The Athletic published on Thursday, Jan. 15.

Players lined up one by one to say goodbye to the coach, who has been inextricably linked to the franchise for 19 seasons, the outlet said. 

Linebacker T.J. Watt reportedly kept repeating “no” over and over again, upon Tomlin’s announcement.

Cornerback Joey Porter Jr., whose father Joey Porter starred on the Steelers in the 90s, almost began “hyperventilating," per The Athletic.

Rodgers’ respect for Tomlin dates back decades, and they once shared a Super Bowl stage when the quarterback’s Green Bay Packers defeated the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV in 2011.  

The future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback just finished his 21st season for the Steelers on a one-year contract, and said when he signed with the franchise that it had to do with the legendary coach.

"I don't need it for my ego," Rodgers told reporters last June. "I don't need it to keep playing. A lot of decisions that I've made over my career and life from strictly the ego, even if they turn out well, are always unfulfilling. But the decisions made from the soul are usually pretty fulfilling.”

He continued, "This was a decision that was best for my soul, and I felt like being here with coach [Mike Tomlin] and the guys that got here and the opportunity here was the best for me and I'm excited to be here."

On Monday night, Rodgers got testy when asked again about his allegiance to the coach.

“Mike T’s had more success than damn-near anybody in the league for the last 19-20 years,” he said after the game. “More than that, though, when you have the right guy and the culture is right, you don’t think about making a change.”

Yet the 53-year-old Tomlin did, saying he’ll now spend time with his family, including his wife Kiya and their three adult children.

For the 42-year-old Rodgers, however, the news is a seemingly stark reminder that time marches on, as the signal-caller contemplates if he has another season in his tank.

Read the original article on People