Mike Tomlin To Think About His Future In Pittsburgh During The Offseason

By Jordan Long

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the playoffs for the first time since 2021.  They finished with a 10-7 record, meaning Head Coach Mike Tomlin has never finished below .500 in his 17 years with the Steelers.  Rumors are that Tomlin could step away after this season.

            Tomlin has been the Head Coach of the Steelers since 2007.  In that time, including this year, the Steelers earned a playoff spot an impressive 11 times.  Pittsburgh advanced to the Super Bowl twice with him, winning Super Bowl 43 defeating the Arizona Cardinals 27-23.  In Super Bowl 45, the Steelers were on the wrong side as the Green Bay Packers beat them 31-25.

            This season, the Steelers barely made the playoffs.  It came down to week 18.  Pittsburgh beat Baltimore 17-10.  All they needed was for Jacksonville or Houston to lose.  Houston won their game against the Colts 23-19.  Jacksonville fell to the Tennessee Titans 28-20 which gave Pittsburgh the final playoff spot in the AFC.  They will travel to Buffalo to take on the Bills on Sunday.

            When this year is over for Pittsburgh, Tomlin will need to think about his future. The Steelers want to keep him.  His contract runs out after next season.  The Steelers have talked about extending Tomlin’s deal during the offseason.  Tomlin has shown the ability to lead this franchise as Head Coach.  His record speaks for itself.  Tomlin has won 173 games with 100 losses and 2 ties.  His overall winning percentage is an outstanding .633.  That shows how important he is to this franchise.

            Tomlin may choose to walk away. According to sports.yahoo.com, NFL Insider Adam Schefter said on Sunday’s ESPN NFL Countdown, “They’re not firing Mike Tomlin. But here’s the thing that’s interesting: He’s got a year left on his contract. And there are some people around the league who believe Mike Tomlin could decide to take some time off like Sean Payton did.”

            The ball is in Tomlin’s court.  He could come back and coach out his contract.   He may walk away with a year left and take a year off.  He might find another coaching job following next year.  Another option, and it’s a long shot, is to trade Tomlin to another franchise, similar to what the Saints did last year as they dealt Sean Payton to the Broncos.  At least the Steelers would receive something back.  The Steelers’ season isn’t over yet.  They take on the Bills this Sunday with kickoff at 1 PM Mountain Time.