There has been plenty of speculation about Mike Tomlin’s future in Pittsburgh. Although the Steelers will not fire him — and hope to extend his contract — Tomlin has not yet decided to return.
As explained at halftime of Browns-Texans on NBC, Tomlin will be all in until the season ends. Then, he’ll do what he does every year. He’ll reassess his situation and decide what to do.
This year, things are unique for him. He has never before entered the final year of a contract. Past extensions were done with two years left. It’s a factor in the analysis.
He loves the team. The Steelers have great young players. He loves coaching. Still, he’ll huddle with his wife and the rest of his family and make a decision.
The options (as we see them) are this: (1) sign a new contract with the Steelers; (2) resign and wait to see whether another team contacts the Steelers about acquiring his contractual rights in 2024; (3) resign, sit out a year, and see whether another team contacts the Steelers about acquiring his rights in 2025; or (4) decline to sign an extension, finish his contract in 2024, and become a free agent.
Absent an extension, Tomlin would become the hottest commodity entering the 2025. Plenty of teams have been waiting for a chance to hire him. Some teams would fire coaches they currently have if they knew they could get him.
