Aaron Rodgers has made a remarkable comparison involving Mike Tomlin, putting the former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach in the same bracket as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant when it comes to charisma.
Rodgers spent the 2025 season playing under Tomlin in Pittsburgh and has now opened up about the qualities that made his former coach so memorable.
Tomlin stepped away from the Steelers after the 2025 season and has since taken up a role with NBC as an analyst on Football Night in America. However, he has already been linked with a potential return to coaching.
Aaron Rodgers explains why Mike Tomlin reminded him of NBA legends
Speaking on the Not Just Football with Cam Heyward podcast, Rodgers explained that Tomlin’s ability to connect with his players was unlike anything he had experienced elsewhere.
“He also is super charismatic. I’ve been around a few charismatic people in my life, and I would put him on the same level as meeting Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant. When they enter the room, there’s just something different about a highly charismatic person where the energy in the room shifts. I feel like that’s what Mike T is.”
That was not the only reason Rodgers valued Tomlin. The quarterback said the coach remembered personal details about his players, including their stories and the people important to them.
“He had something personal with every player on the team.”
Rodgers said that level of attention was a major reason he wanted to play for Tomlin, adding that the coach knew what made his players tick and genuinely cared enough to remember it.
That relationship helps explain why Tomlin made such a strong impression on Rodgers despite their time together lasting only one season.
Now, Tomlin has left the Steelers but has not ruled out returning to the sideline. During an interview with The PFF NFL Show, he said: “It’s certainly not a 32-team league for me. I’ve lived too much for that. But I’ve also learned to never say never.”
Tomlin also admitted he has enjoyed life away from coaching, meaning any comeback decision is far from straightforward.
For Rodgers, though, there is little doubt about what made Tomlin different. The comparison with Jordan and Kobe shows just how highly he rates the presence of the coach who helped lead Pittsburgh into a new chapter.
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