How crazy Jon Gruden to Pittsburgh Steelers rumor replacing Mike Tomlin happened

Jon Gruden has done a masterful job of reinventing his image after being disgraced as the Las Vegas Raiders head coach (with the fiery Super Bowl winner still going after the NFL) that seemed like it would bury him forever.

Now that he's a break-out star personality for Barstool Sports with his always entertaining segments as the in-house coaching expert, who won his one Lombardi Trophy with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at only 39 years old, college football and NFL fans always circulate the 62-year-old Ohio native's name anytime they're frustrated with the current predicament of their team.

It has usually been SEC teams since Barstool is so popular there, and he often has segments with NFL and college coaches, most recently bringing in the Alabama Crimson Tide offensive coordinators for a film session.

Alabama is on a bye so we had the pleasure of hosting Offensive Coordinators Ryan Grubb and Nick Sheridan here at the FFCA!

They even brought me a box! Thank you so much for this gift and spending the day here grinding tape! ROLL TIDE!!@AlabamaFTBL pic.twitter.com/qEDuWVMVtk
— Jon Gruden (@BarstoolGruden) October 28, 2025

But in the past 24 hours, an outrageous NFL rumor popped up that Gruden was replacing Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin that would have been truly shocking.

Here's how this outrageously false rumor became a reality.

Misleading headline that did extremely well on Google

The headline read, "Pittsburgh Steelers Hiring Jon Gruden as Next Head Coach."

This site has often fooled many search users in the past for the same formula of shocking sports news that are completely untrue, and then when you click on the article, it's a prediction.

We here at The Athlete Lifestyle On SI feel like this is the definition of clickbait. But hey, it works for them.

For Steelers fans, it must have thrown many for a loop, and many frustrated anti-Tomlin influencers on social media then picked up on it and took it further.

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin reacts before the NFL game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Oct. 16, 2025. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Gruden option is more about fan frustration with the Steelers

Coming off a loss to the Green Bay Packers in a marquee game on Sunday Night Football with a middling 4-3 record, having not won the Super Bowl since 2009, and still feeling behind elite AFC teams at the trade deadline like the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, plus resurgent franchises like the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, and Indianapolis Colts, it's the perfect formula for a dramatic rumor to take hold.

In a perfect world if I’m the Steelers FO I’m firing Mike Tomlin today and calling Jon Gruden immediately.

Is he the best coach out there? No. But at least he gives a damn and would hold coaches and players accountable and make changes accordingly. pic.twitter.com/8Bu1cfCdEY
— Zach (@ZPSteelers2) October 27, 2025

This is Tomlin's 19th season coaching the Steelers, and like Gruden, the 53-year-old defensive guru has that one Super Bowl, in 2009.

Steelers fans are greedy, given the franchise is tied with the Patriots for most Super Bowls at six. Heck, even their annoying in-state little brother Philadelphia Eagles have won two since their last one, including being the reigning champions after having none before that magical Nick Foles upset of Tom Brady.

The Steelers defense looks lost, and coaching changes feel overdue.

Could bringing in Jon Gruden help steady the ship — and set him up as the future successor once Tomlin eventually steps away?

What do you think, Steelers Nation? 👀#NFL #Steelers pic.twitter.com/Oqal9AUbPR
— The Standard (@TheStandard412) October 28, 2025

Tomlin has been amazingly consistent, but when you're not hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in Pittsburgh, ridiculous rumors involving Super Bowl-winning head coaches can catch fire.

Where Gruden ends up next, no one knows. But it won't be with the Steelers. Time to move on.

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