The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2025 season ended at the hands of the Houston Texans in the first round of the postseason as the organization suffered yet another embarrassing loss in the playoffs. The fan base has been frustrated about these types of seasons for a while now as fans have rooting for chance or a full on rebuild. Chance came almost right after the loss as Mike Tomlin announced on Tuesday that he would be stepping down as the head coach of the franchise. The coach chose to go out on his own terms, which is what many thought would happen.
AP photo
Steelers' Jalen Ramsey speaks with former head coach, Mike Tomlin during a game.
It has been said for a while that Tomlin would be hired by another team almost instantly if he and the Steelers were to ever part ways. However, this situation is a little more nuanced. Tomlin stepped down, therefore Pittsburgh still retains his rights for the next two seasons. A team would have to trade with the Steelers to acquire his rights, while the head coach probably has several TV offers he is looking over. NFL insider Ian Rapoport provided an update on Tomlin's intentions on Wednesday morning, as he stated that the former head coach is not looking to coach in 2026.
"In the hours after Mike Tomlin told the Steelers he was stepping down, teams have contacted Tomlin to express their interest, sources say," Rapoport wrote. "PIT has his rights and draft compensation would be necessary. That said, teams were told Tomlin does not plan to coach next year."
The insider states that Tomlin's representatives have told the teams that have been reaching out that he does not plan on coaching during the 2026 season. This is good news for Pittsburgh fans as it would feel odd to see Tomlin on another team's sideline so quickly, but it could also be extremely beneficial to have another organization fork up some draft capital in order to attain his rights.
Sebastian Foltz / Post-Gazette
Former Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin standing on the sideline with special teams coach Danny Smith during a game in the 2025 NFL season.
There are plenty of openings at head coach around the league, and while fans might feel as though Tomlin's message got stale in Pittsburgh, other franchises would do a lot to have him operate their team. He is known around the league for getting the most out of his players, which is something that any franchise would want in its head coach.
Tomlin could completely disappear in 2026 if he wanted to. He doesn't have to do TV or join a media network, although he probably has a bunch of lucrative offers being thrown at him to do so as mentioned. Offers like that might be fairly enticing for the former head coach as the workload would be significantly less, and he could always think about returning to coaching during the 2027 coaching cycle. He is under contract with the Steelers through that season, so the Steelers could still bring in some draft capital, even if the former head coach waited an entire season to return to the sideline.
Tomlin is going to be "linked" to other jobs around the league as the coaching cycle continues on, but it doesn't seem like he has any interest in signing on with another organization currently.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Jets, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025 in East Rutherford, NJ.
Steelers Will Look To Fill Mike Tomlin's Large Shoes In The Near Future
No interviews have been announced yet for the Steelers, but the organization is certainly doing its homework on potential head coach candidates. Pittsburgh typically goes after defensive-minded coaches, which would make guys like Chris Shula, Jesse Minter, and Brian Flores obvious options. The organization also likes familiarity, which means Flores will probably get an extended look due to the time he has already spent with the franchise. The Steelers can also move differently than they have in the past by looking at a young offensive mind or exploring the college ranks.
What do you think about Tomlin taking a year off? Let us know in the comments below!
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