Mike Tomlin Breaks His Silence On Joey Porter And The Pittsburgh Steelers-Cincinnati Bengals Playoff Controversy

Mike Tomlin reveals what he told Joey Porter before the 2016 Steelers-Bengals chaos.© Image via: X/@NFL_DovKleiman

Mike Tomlin has been away from the Pittsburgh Steelers sideline for nearly a year, yet one 2016 Wild Card story still follows him around. Speaking recently, he explained what he told Joey Porter in his office on game day, and it sheds new light on one of the ugliest finishes in recent playoff history. Tomlin wanted help keeping order, but he chose a man whose own reputation made that job complicated. With the Steelers set to visit the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night, the memory carries extra weight for both fan bases.

Why Mike Tomlin Gave Joey Porter A Peacekeeping Job

Few coaches admit how much game management depends on who stands where. Tomlin did, and his account shows a head coach planning for the worst before kickoff. Porter had played linebacker for Pittsburgh and coached its outside linebackers by 2016, so he knew how Steelers players behave when tempers rise. That made him a sensible pick for crowd control.

Tomlin described the talk like this.

“I deputized him,” recalled Tomlin, per Blitzburgh. “We had a nasty relationship with that group. And so I called him in my office before that game, on game day, I said, ‘If it goes berserk in any way, I'm coming on the field. I want you to come with me. I'm going to the action. I want you to control our guys.”

Mike Tomlin on when he knew he was retiring after the playoff loss to Houston: “I did probably by the time I pulled in my driveway. I respected the position that I held I didn't feel like I owned it. I work to earn it every day. We occupy these roles and we better earn it every day and all good things come to an end. I never wanted to stay too long. I had 19 years of baggage and sometimes your teams have to carry your bags and I just thought we had the making of a really good team. A team that's capable of competing for and winning a championship. When I really started thinking about it my bags might slow that down. I thought that guys like him and TJ and obviously others were deserving of the support that comes with transition. The optimism that comes with new regimes.” #steelers  Not Just Football with Cam Heyward

— Matthew Luciow (@matthewluciow92) November 12, 2026

The word "deputized" says plenty. Tomlin saw Porter as an extension of his own authority, someone who would follow him and not freelance. Still, the plan leaned on a man who built his playing career on trash talk, and Cincinnati knew it well.

How Adam Jones And Vontaze Burfict Changed The Steelers And Bengals Finish

Pittsburgh led 15-0 after three quarters. Cincinnati, which had won the AFC North at 12-4 while the Steelers finished 10-6, answered with two touchdowns and a field goal to lead 16-15. Then, with 22 seconds left, linebacker Vontaze Burfict hit Antonio Brown after a high Ben Roethlisberger pass fell incomplete. Brown was evaluated for a concussion, and Burfict drew a 15-yard penalty.

Porter came onto the field while the teams sorted it out and started arguing with Bengals players, Burfict included. Cornerback Adam Jones responded and picked up a 15-yard flag for unsportsmanlike conduct. That shortened the kick for Chris Boswell, whose 35-yard field goal sealed an 18-16 win. Jones argued afterward that a coach had no business being out there, and offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth was just as direct.

“I have a lot of respect for the Steelers, but Joey Porter isn't one of them.”

Tomlin's version does not excuse Porter's decision, but it does explain the intent behind it. Plenty has changed since. Tomlin stepped down last January, saying he carried 19 years of baggage he did not want his players hauling around. Mike McCarthy now runs a Steelers team that sits at 6-2 atop the AFC North. A road win in Cincinnati would sweep the season series and strengthen Pittsburgh's claim on a top AFC playoff seed.