The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens and won the AFC North division. They’re moving forward to the playoffs, while the Ravens’ season is over. But the game left some big questions unanswered that people were wondering about before it even started.
People wanted to know if this would be Aaron Rodgers’ last game. They also wondered if Mike Tomlin would keep coaching the Steelers. These were the main questions everyone was asking about the Steelers before the game.
Both Rodgers and Tomlin are staying with Pittsburgh. The Steelers are going to play the Houston Texans in the playoffs, so both of them will continue working together. According to Outkick, NBC reporter Melissa Stark tried to ask Rodgers about retirement after the game, but he avoided the question.
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Tomlin and Rodgers proved they work well together
Tomlin said he’s admired Rodgers for a long time and it feels good to work with him. He explained this was always the plan when they brought Rodgers to the team in the spring. Tomlin said that’s why you hire a 41 or 42-year-old player who has done everything before. Someone with Rodgers’ experience doesn’t just handle pressure well, he actually does his best work in those moments. Tomlin believes Rodgers showed that during the game.
Things are going well for the Steelers right now. But the same can’t be said for the Ravens. There are still questions hanging over Baltimore about whether coach John Harbaugh will stay and whether Jackson will return next season. In other sports news, the IOC made major decisions about Russian athletes competing in upcoming international competitions.
“I’m not even thinking about that right now, to be honest with you. I’m still caught up in what just happened, you know?” he said.
The biggest problem is that Jackson refused to talk about these issues after the loss. When reporters asked him directly if he’ll be the Ravens quarterback next year, Jackson wouldn’t give a clear answer.
He said they just lost an important divisional game that would have put them in the playoffs. He’s not thinking about next year because he’s still upset about what just happened.
The Ravens lost in a painful way when rookie kicker Tyler Loop missed what should have been an easy 44-yard field goal. It’s understandable that Jackson was hurt by the loss. But people are wondering why he couldn’t simply say he wants to come back next year.
Jackson also wouldn’t say if he wants Harbaugh to stay as coach. When asked about next year again, he repeated that he’s still stuck on what happened that night and can’t focus on anything else.
He told reporters he’s stunned and still trying to understand what went wrong. This creates problems for the Ravens because it makes people think Jackson might not want to return or might not want his coach back. While players dodging questions isn’t unusual after tough losses, a Seahawks receiver recently fired back at his critics in a much more direct way.
Harbaugh didn’t have any trouble answering the same question. When asked if he wanted to return in 2026, he simply said yes and that he loves his players. Whatever Harbaugh’s reasons for saying this, at least he gave a clear answer. But Jackson’s refusal to speak about his future leaves everyone guessing.
Published: Jan 5, 2026 03:45 pm