While Pittsburgh is not expected to fire the head coach, the team must make a decision during the offseason.
Los Pittsburgh Steelers They are not going to fire the head coach Mike Tomlinbut they do have an important decision to make starting next year.
After this season, the contract Mike Tomlin will have two years remaining: 2026 and a team option in 2027. However, according to league sources, the Steelers must decide whether to exercise the contract option Mike Tomlin before March 1st.
There will be meetings within the organization and decisions will be made, but not until after this season ends, with work complete for all parties involved to review, according to sources.
Nobody in the organization Steelers Not even the NFL expects Pittsburgh undressed to Mike Tomlin; the organization has not fired a head coach since 1941.
When the Steelers They fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada in November 2023, marking the franchise’s first in-season coordinator change in 82 years. Pittsburgh He rarely fires coaches and never does so with coaches of the caliber of Mike Tomlin.
But the option in the contract Mike Tomlin It is the true cornerstone. If the Steelers They do not exercise the option of Mike Tomlinwould allow their head coach to enter the final year of his contract next season, something teams typically prefer not to do.
And if neither party has a commitment to the other beyond 2026, numerous options would come into play.
There are and have been arguments on both sides. The critics of Mike Tomlin they point out that the Steelers They haven’t won a playoff game since 2016. But Mike Tomlin He has also been an effective enough coach not to have a losing season in his 18 seasons in Pittsburgh. With a 6-6 record for the Steelersthis could be the 19th consecutive season in that streak.
Some have suggested that the Steelers should consider a swap Mike Tomlin after this season, but that wouldn’t be possible without your permission. The contract of Mike Tomlin includes a no-trade clause, giving you the ability to block any move that Steelers they can do.
So, despite calls from fans of the Steelers to say goodbye to Mike Tomlin During last week’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Steelers They are not considering it. His future and his future lie in Baltimore on Sunday, when the Steelers They face the Ravens for first place in the AFC North.
That’s partly why the team isn’t even willing to consider coaching options right now. There are five regular season games left, and Pittsburgh You are focused on the task at hand, not on what may or may not happen in the future.
And Mike Tomlin wins on Sunday, he would tie former Denver Broncos head coach Dan Reeves for the 10th most regular season wins of all time, with 190. Interestingly, Reeves once faced a situation similar to that of Mike Tomlin.
Former Broncos owner Pat Bowlen used to extend Reeves’ contract before his final season. The only time he didn’t was at the start of the 1992 season, which turned out to be Reeves’ last in Denver. The parties parted ways after that season.
But the Steelers y Mike Tomlin They are far from making a decision. They are more focused on getting the team back to winning ways, beating Baltimore and regaining first place in the AFC North.
Still, decisions are coming. To the chagrin of some fans of the Steelers who have expressed their opinion, it is possible that Steelers do not have to make a decision about the future of Mike Tomlin at the end of this season. But they have an important decision to make soon after.
