Mike

Tomlin

Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Tomlin is now under contract through 2027. Tomlin, who has yet to have a losing season in his 17 years as the Steelers head coach, continues to find ways to string together wins despite coaching the last several years with subpar talent at quarterback. He led the Steelers to a 10-7 record last season with the help of Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph but was one-and-done in the playoffs for the fourth time in the last seven years. Tomlin has an 8-10 career record in the playoffs but hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016. With 2024 initially thought to be a do-or-die season for Tomlin, the front office is clearly ready to commit to him for another four seasons. While many unanswered questions remain at quarterback with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields now in tow, Tomlin’s defenses continue to carry the load. Under Tomlin, the Steelers’ defense has ranked in the top 10 in points allowed in 11 seasons and was sixth last season. Despite his team’s deficiencies, Tomlin always finds a way to keep the Steelers in the fight. While the roster still has holes to address before they can be considered a Super Bowl contender, the Steelers are willing to give Tomlin more time to solve those problems.

Tomlin is in the final year of his contract but continues to be one of the top coaches in the game. While his offense needs a lot of work this offseason, Tomlin still managed to coach his team to a 10-7 record and a playoff berth this season and has famously never had a season where he finished below .500 in his 17 years at the helm. Tomlin has a regular season record of 173-100-2 and currently sits at 13th on the league’s all-time wins list. His last playoff win came in 2016, but the Steelers could be a quarterback away from looking like legitimate contenders in 2024.

According to Rooney, who the team brings in as its next offensive coordinator is entirely up to Tomlin; Rooney added that he and GM Omar Khan share ideas regularly with Tomlin. The Steelers recently interviewed former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith, whose days as the Titans’ offensive coordinator (2019-2020) helped land him his first head coaching gig, but other candidates have also been vetted, including Texans QB coach Jerrod Johnson. Who the Steelers bring on as their next offensive coordinator could go a long way in determining Mike Tomlin’s fate with the team beyond 2024. Tomlin is in the final year of his contract and will be desperate to roll out an improved team after last year’s 28th-ranked offense did anything but carry them to their 10-7 record.

Tomlin enters 2024 in the final year of his contract but is willing to re-up with the organization he’s spent the last 17 seasons with. Tomlin has a 173-100 record during his tenure with the Steelers and has never finished a season below .500. He also led them to the playoffs in 11 seasons and a Super Bowl championship in 2008. While he hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016, Tomlin continues to get the most out of a roster that’s needed an overhaul at quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger began declining. In addition to being open to an extension, Tomlin also said the team will look to hire an outside candidate to fill their offensive coordinator position.

Still yet to finish below .500 in 17 years on the job, Tomlin’s status was nevertheless in doubt amidst rumors he could seek an exit from the only team he’s ever known as a head coach. He will instead continue to prioritize the stability he has known in Pittsburgh and look to improve a coaching staff that had grown stale on offense under ex-OC Matt Canada. Tomlin’s biggest problem remains his post-Ben Roethlisberger quarterback play. Tomlin continues to do his job on his side of the ball while being one of the league’s most revered leaders. His return is good news for Steelers fans.

“There has been chatter that perhaps the Steelers would consider trading Tomlin to Washington, Chicago or even Carolina to get back some picks,” was Russini’s exact report. Tomlin’s Pittsburgh standing has always been iron-clad no matter how dysfunctional the team has become on offense, but things have been reaching something of a breaking point in 2023. Lauded for his team-building prowess and defensive acumen, Tomlin could benefit from an Andy Reid-type change of scenery. Like any head coach good, bad, or otherwise, Tomlin would undoubtedly fare better if paired with an established quarterback. The most likely outcome is probably still Tomlin returning from yet another year in black and yellow.

Tomlin, 49, is now signed through the 2024 season, which means the Steelers will have had three head coaches over 55 years. That’s 14 presidential administrations, folks. Pittsburgh has been a perennial contender for much of Tomlin’s 14 years at the helm, though the 2020 season marked a low point in Tomlin’s head coaching career, as the Steelers collapsed down the stretch and suffered a humiliating Wild Card loss to the Browns. Tomlin heads into the 2021 season tied with Pete Carroll for the 21st most head coaching wins in league history. He needs five more wins to pass Bill Cowher, his predecessor. Forty-eight more wins would make Tomlin the winningest coach in Steelers history. Tomlin in 2021 will have one more go with a deteriorating Ben Roethlisberger as his quarterback.

“We’ll address Mike’s contract with him as time goes on this offseason,” Rooney said. “I feel comfortable in saying he’ll be our coach into the future.” Tomlin is signed through 2021 with a team option for 2022. That puts him on borderline lame duck status going into next season. The Steelers should add a few years to Tomlin’s deal to give him more security. Tomlin is 145-78-1 over 14 seasons in Pittsburgh.

Many NFL coaches are embracing what analytics advocates have said for years: punting -- especially on fourth and short at or near midfield -- is counterproductive if a team’s goal is to put points on the scoreboard. From the mid-80s to 2017, NFL teams averaged around 4.8 punts per game -- a rate that has dropped in each of the past four seasons. Fourth down aggressiveness has taken center stage during the 2021 postseason. While Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin elected to punt on fourth and short in a Wild Card Weekend comeback attempt against Cleveland, Kansas City head coach Andy Reid called a game-winning fourth down play against Cleveland in the Divisional Round, directing backup QB Chad Henne to take the snap -- instead of trying to draw the Browns offsides -- and throw a short pass to Tyreek Hill. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel decided to punt on fourth and short while trailing the Ravens in the Wild Card round -- a disastrous decision that doomed Tennessee to a first round loss. More analytically minded coaches could make punts from midfield a relic of an ultra-conservative NFL past.

This announcement comes 48 hours after a staff member tested positive and only 24 hours after the team played the Cowboys. The Steelers will immediately enter intensive protocol and eventually rule out a handful of players for close-contact ahead of its Week 10 game against the Bengals. Expect those names, if any, to be revealed in the next 24 hours.