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Mike Tomlin is one of the most recognizable head coaches in the NFL. The all-time great Pittsburgh Steelers head coach has been in his position since 2007 and has been remarkably successful overall.
One of the most impressive feats of Tomlin's career is the fact that his teams have never had a losing record. The Steelers have missed the playoffs several times, but have never finished with a below .500 record.
Now, the coach is heading into his 19th season as the head coach of the Steelers, and it appears that his team will once again be a contender. Future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers was added to be the quarterback, and star wide receiver, DK Metcalf, was added in a trade.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero recently joined the the Rich Eisen Show, and Pelissero dropped an interesting tidbit about Tomlin. The insider implied that Tomlin is coaching on a year-to-year basis in Pittsburgh.
“They’re in win-now mode as they are every year with Mike Tomlin, who himself is at least somewhat on a year-to-year basis as he enters his 19th season as the Steelers’ head coach,” Pelissero told Eisen.
That comment caught Eisen off guard, causing him to ask for clarification from Pelissero.
“My belief is Mike Tomlin will be the head coach of the Steelers for as long as he wants to be,” Pelissero told the show. “But he’s entering his 19th year. There is not a lot of precedent in the modern NFL, Bill Belichick aside, for somebody going on 20 years with one team.”
Tomlin is currently the longest-tenured active head coach in the four major sports. As Pelissero mentioned, the coach likely has enough clout to remain in Pittsburgh as long as he wants, but it's also possible the head coach could grow tired of this specific role with the Steelers after two decades and a lack of playoff success.
There has been plenty of speculation in the past about the Steelers possibly firing or trading Tomlin, so it wouldn't be completely surprising. After all, the Steelers haven't won a Super Bowl since 2008, and haven't won the AFC since 2010.
“Every year, we have a story of some team reaching out on Mike Tomlin,” Pelissero told Eisen. “Could you end up trading for him? Every year, there’s some level of rumblings about, could Mike Tomlin decide to do something else. I’m not saying he’s sitting there right now thinking about, he’s going to walk away after the season. I would just say that you get into these situations and every year we’re talking about what someone’s future is going to be, that should give you a pretty clear indication you’re on a year-to-year basis.”
The Steelers have traditionally been very loyal to their head coaches. The franchise has only had three coaches since 1969, and that includes Tomlin. The two coaches before Tomlin, Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher, both stepped down on their own accord instead of being fired.
If the Steelers fail to have postseason success again in 2025, could the team have a new head coach in 2026?
As Pelissero mentioned, the Steelers almost certainly aren't firing Tomlin, but it's always possible the coach could finally want to try his luck elsewhere.
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