The future for Mike Tomlin is a subject of great interest to NFL teams. The legendary former coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers won a Super Bowl and had a winning record each season he was there. In a somewhat surprising move, he resigned at the conclusion of the 2025 season, though the writing was on the wall that he may have been in line to be fired anyway.
For a coach with Tomlin’s resume, it was a rather ignominious exit. But under Tomlin, the Steelers hadn’t won a playoff game since 2016 and had just gotten blitzed at home by the Texans in the wild card round, 30-6. It was time for a change in Pittsburgh.
Still, Tomlin’s coaching pedigree is undeniable. Currently, he’s part of the NBC Sunday Night Football broadcasting crew, and seems to be loving his time in the media. But come this offseason — when a handful of teams are looking for a new head coach — Tomlin is expected to be the white whale of the group.
Except now, Tomlin might have different plans in mind.
Former Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin Reveals Post-Season Career Plans
As much as there are many parties interested in seeing Tomlin return to the sidelines, the man himself is loving his time in broadcasting and feels no urgency to jump back into coaching.
“I’m having a lot of fun,” Tomlin said on NBC’s weekly conference call, per Mark Maske. “Haven’t given one iota of thought about coaching. I’m sure that, you know, some of that’s going to come up in the not-too-distant future. But I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Really haven’t thought a lot about it. Really excited about my new role and working to get better each and every week.”
Coaching in the NFL is notoriously stressful, with coaches sacrificing nearly everything else to stay at the top of the game. For now, at least, Tomlin sees no reason to rush back into things.
Of course, that could all change if the right offer comes along.
The Pittsburgh Steelers Are Squarely in the Hunt for the AFC North Title
The Steelers drew some criticism this offseason for their decisions after Tomlin resigned. Pittsburgh hired former Cowboys and Packers coach Mike McCarthy, a retread hire out of coaching for a year whose previous stop in Dallas was rather uninspiring.
But so far, the results have been promising. Pittsburgh is tied atop the AFC North at 6-2, with a massive Sunday night showdown against the Bengals upcoming in Week 10. The winner will take control of the division race — and the Steelers already beat the Bengals back in Week 3.
Not bad for McCarthy’s first season.
There’s still a lot to be played out, and the Steelers’ success in the playoffs will truly determine if McCarthy can lead Pittsburgh to greater heights than Tomlin could late in his tenure. But if nothing else, it’s a great start.
Ex-Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin Reveals Unexpected Career Update