After leading the Steelers to a record 17 consecutive winning seasons as head coach, Mike Tomlin is set to begin his 11th postseason appearance. However, some in the NFL think 2017 might be his final season in Pittsburgh, as ESPN reports.
Adam Schefter reported this week that while the Steelers are not firing Mike Tomlin, “some people around the league believe that Mike Tomlin could decide, eventually, to take some time off.” Consider taking a year off, just like Sean Payton did.”
Notably, Payton left his position as head coach of the Saints in 2022 after 15 seasons in that capacity. He worked as a Fox Sports analyst for a year before officially joining the Broncos as their coach before of the 2023 season through trade.
Earlier this year, NBC Sports revealed that Pittsburgh has “no reason” to think Tomlin wishes to quit and would really seek to extend his contract, which is good until 2024. However, Schefter has since reiterated his assertion that Tomlin’s exit is imminent, stating last week on “The Pat McAfee Show” that he “could walk” following the season according to certain NFL sources.
The 51-year-old coach has enjoyed firm job security as the NFL’s second-longest-tenured head coach, behind only the Patriots’ Bill Belichick, who’s widely expected to entertain his own relocation in 2024. Tomlin is 173-100-2 over his nearly two decades in Pittsburgh, guiding the Steelers to two Super Bowls and winning one. He’s drawn more local scrutiny in recent years, however, as his last playoff victory came in 2016, when the team advanced to the AFC Championship.
