Is Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin going to leave?

In what proved to be his final postgame press conference for the 2023 season, the Steelers’ coach didn’t stand on ceremony as he walked off the podium after being asked about his future. Needless to say, it’s anyone’s guess where if anywhere, he will coach next.

What’s the deal with Mike Tomlin?

Truth be told, Mike Tomlin, had to know that there were going to be questions about his future in the coming days, and that’s even before the 31-17 Super Wild Card Weekendvloss to the Buffalo Bills, that brought the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season to an end this past weekend. Frankly, things haven’t been good in Pittsburgh for a while now and that was demonstrated when Tomlin publicly criticized the team, referring to his men as ‘fundamentally poor.’

At this point, it remains unclear as to what comes next for Tomlin and there has been no official word on what comes next for the longest-serving head coach with one team in the NFL - Bill Belichick is gone now. So, here we are with Tomlin having alluded to the fact that he will take some time to think about his next move. Indeed, the 51-year-old recently explained that he will discuss his options with his family before making a firm decision on his future. To be clear, his 17 straight seasons without a losing season is the most in NFL history for a first-time head coach. In the time that he’s been in charge, Pittsburgh has seen a Super Bowl victory, two AFC titles, seven division titles, and been to the playoffs 11 times.

OK, so Mike Tomlin wants to go?

Well, as much as Tomlin hasn’t said so if we take his above-mentioned comments at face value, the reality is he’s currently contemplating whether or not he’d like to continue. As mentioned before, Tomlin is now the longest-tenured coach with one team, now that Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have parted company. Interestingly, reports indicate that the Steelers’ front office would like to extend Tomlin’s contract, but as things stand it remains to be seen whether or not he will agree to the idea. To be clear, reports also suggest that Tomlin is simply considering a temporary break from the NFL.

Context is key: The Steelers had a difficult year

There were many who thought the Pittsburgh Steelers would be contenders this year when they got off to a 7-4 start. Then, they lost three straight and had to scratch and claw to salvage their season with three straight wins on the back end of the season to clinch a playoff berth. Along the way there was a major decision from Tomlin i.e., he gave quarterback Mason Rudolph the starting job. Rudolph responded by playing some highlight reel stuff and off the Steelers went. Sadly, the honeymoon didn’t last long and here we are, with the Steelers eliminated after their loss to the Bills and Tomlin about to be in need of a job. So, the question is, what now?