Mike Tomlin is about to enter his 11th playoff appearance as Steelers head coach, fresh off his 17th straight undefeated season at the top of the staff. But some around the NFL believe it could also be his last in Pittsburgh, according to ESPN.
Steelers not firing Mike Tomlin and Adam Schefter said this week“but… there are people around the league who think Mike Tomlin might eventually decide to take a leave of absence. Like Sean Payton did, maybe take a year off.”
Payton notably left his position as head coach of the Saints in 2022, after 15 seasons in this position. He spent a year as an analyst at Fox Sports before returning as coach of the Broncos – technically via trade – ahead of the 2023 campaign.
NBC Sports reported Earlier this year, Pittsburgh had “no reason” to believe Tomlin wanted to leave and would in fact like to extend his contract, which currently runs through 2024. But Schefter has since doubled down on his suggestion that a departure was being considered, narrating “The Pat McAfee Show” this week, some NFL sources believe Tomlin “could walk” after the season.
Either way, Tomlin will dictate what happens, Schefter explained, not the Pittsburgh Steelers: “He stays if he wants to.”
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The 51-year-old coach enjoys solid job security as the NFL’s second-longest-serving head coach, behind the Patriots’ Bill Belichick, who is expected to consider his own relocation in 2024. Tomlin has a record of 173-100-2. his nearly two decades in Pittsburgh, guiding the Steelers to two Super Bowls and winning one. It has attracted more local attention in recent years, however, as its last playoff victory came in 2016, when the team advanced to the AFC Championship.
Tomlin’s Steelers will visit the Bills on Sunday as part of Super Wild Card weekend after Pittsburgh finished 10-7.
If he were to leave the team after the season, a number of teams with head coaching vacancies, including the Commanders, would likely be interested in his services, even if it meant negotiating a trade with the Steelers.
