Pockets of Pittsburgh Steelers followers and native media personalities referred to as for the membership to half methods with head coach Mike Tomlin following his newest playoff defeat. Nevertheless, Steelers proprietor and workforce president Artwork Rooney II made it quite clear in January that he by no means thought of firing or buying and selling Tomlin.
For a chunk printed Thursday, Steelers insider Mike DeFabo of The Athletic touched upon Tomlin’s future past the 2025 season.
“After the Steelers had been blown out by the Bills within the wild-card spherical in January 2024, extending the postseason win drought to seven seasons, the workforce responded by giving coach Mike Tomlin a increase that made him one of many highest-paid coaches within the league,” DeFabo defined. “If the Rooney household doesn’t like consuming a pair hundred thousand {dollars} by firing a place coach, there’s no method they’d pay Tomlin tens of hundreds of thousands to not coach. …I actually can’t envision a situation wherein Tomlin isn’t the coach in 2026, irrespective of how badly this season goes.”
The three-year contract extension related to the beforehand talked about increase reportedly included a no-trade clause. In brief, Tomlin would basically be doing the Steelers a favor subsequent winter by accepting a commerce to a unique workforce reasonably than forcing Pittsburgh to fireplace him if Rooney really desires to make a change at the moment.
“Maybe Tomlin could be prepared to waive his no-trade clause,” DeFabo mentioned. “However that additionally appears unlikely.”
Outsiders who view Tomlin, a one-time Tremendous Bowl champion head coach, as top-of-the-line leaders within the sport usually point out that he is by no means had a dropping season since he began his Steelers tenure in 2007. Alternatively, Tomlin’s critics level out that his groups additionally have not earned a single playoff win for the reason that 2016 season.
Considerably apparently, DeFabo supplied his prediction on the identical day that Andrew Marchand of The Athletic talked about that Tomlin may very well be “the following $100M NFL TV analyst” if a high job opens at one of many league’s
main media companions after the 2025 season concludes. Marchand was certain so as to add that Tomlin “has proven no inkling about exiting the sidelines,” however maybe the 52-year-old would welcome the payday that may include accepting a lighter schedule as a media character.
