The Pittsburgh Steelers have only had three head coaches since 1969, with Mike Tomlin leading this franchise since 2007. With the team not reaching its previous heights, Tomlin’s future in Pittsburgh has become an open question around the NFL. Tomlin, who turns 52 in March, remains one of the most well-respected coaches in the NFL. He also holds the NFL record for consecutive non-losing seasons to begin a coaching career (16), having never experienced a sub-.500 record in Pittsburgh.
While Tomlin is beloved around the NFL, some Steelers fans and even former players have called for a coaching change. Despite a growing belief among some that Pittsburgh needs a new voice in its locker room and an offensive-minded head coach to fix things, it appears Tomlin will dictate his future.
During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network noted the unique situation Pittsburgh is in. Typically, the Steelers’ organization signs a coach or player to a contract extension when they have two years left on their deal. Tomlin’s contract expires in 2024 and there’s no extension imminent.
“What I would tell you that I know is Tomlin has one year left on his contract. Historically, the Steelers have redone coaches contract with two years to go, so that was a little bit unusual that they did not extend him. However, from everything I’ve been told, that’s not an indication that they don’t view Mike Tomlin as a long-term part of the plan. I believe the only way Mike Tomlin would not return as the head coach of the Steelers would be if Mike Tomlin decides there’s some place else that he wants to go.”
