Mike Tomlin and the Steelers organization in general have been on the hot seat in recent weeks as the team has dropped to a 6–6 record on the season and is in danger of missing the playoffs.
Tomlin, who is the longest-tenured active coach in the NFL with nearly 19 seasons in Pittsburgh, hasn’t led the Steelers to a postseason win since 2016.
The coach is under contract with the Steelers until 2027, and the team has until March 1 to pick up his option for the ‘27 season. Despite this deadline, there’s still plenty of unfounded speculation that Tomlin will either be fired or traded to another team. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport shared on Sunday that these two scenarios are unlikely. If Tomlin isn’t the Steelers’ head coach next season, the only reason would be Tomlin deciding to leave on his own terms. Rapoport explained that sources close to the situation believe the Steelers won’t solely decide to move on from their beloved coach.
If anything, the two sides might see how the 2026 season goes before making any decisions about Tomlin’s future. There’s a chance Pittsburgh will have another new starting quarterback if Aaron Rodgers chooses to retire—this would be the fifth offseason in a row in which the Steelers have picked a new QB1. That might be the change the team needs this offseason, though.
There’s still a lot left up in the air regarding Tomlin’s and the Steelers’ future. Tomlin heard the “Fire Tomlin!” chants at last weekend’s matchup vs. the Bills. We’ll see if the team can turn around their season in these final five weeks—the AFC North bid is still up for grabs.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Insider Shares the Only Way Mike Tomlin Wouldn’t Be the Steelers Coach Next Year.
