Up until a 2 p.m. meeting on Tuesday, Mike Tomlin was the Pittsburgh Steelers. The longtime head coach defined the team’s culture, decision-making, and consistent season-by season results.
Whenever any
team loses a head coach, it results in massive change. But in the Steelers’ case, it feels especially seismic. He was the longest-tenured head coach with a team in the entire NFL before stepping down, leading a franchise that is famously loyal to its leadership.
In the coming days and weeks, we’ll have in-detail breakdowns on everything related to the Steelers’ head coaching search this offseason. But in the meantime, here are some instant takeaways from Tomlin’s sudden departure:
There’s a big chance the Steelers get worse
This isn’t necessarily refuting that it was time for Pittsburgh and Tomlin to part ways. Think of it similarly to when Ben Roethlisberger retired: There are many good reasons why it had to happen, but the Steelers have been in quarterback purgatory ever since.
While signing a good head coach isn’t dependent on draft position like quarterback, both positions are in high demand in the NFL because it is difficult to find a quality one. In recent years, Tomlin’s Steelers teams had fallen short in the playoffs. But he was also one of the best floor-raisers in the league.
There’s no denying Tomlin has set an unusually high standard for whoever follows him in Pittsburgh,
The Steelers haven’t hired a head coach since 2007
And of course, when the Steelers hired Tomlin, they hadn’t been in the market for a new head coach since 1992. Pittsburgh has successfully hired head coaches for longer than any other franchise in the league.
But this is also an organization — and ownership — that hasn’t had to undertake the extensive process of hiring a new head coach in almost two decades. The inexperience could be worrying, but more interesting is the lack of precedent. The team could go in a number of directions with its head coaching search, and it’s hard to know what exactly that will look like.
The coaching staff will drastically change
This one is the most obvious takeaway. There will be a new head coach who will do things differently than Tomlin — including bringing in some of the staff changes fans have been requesting for years. It’s hard to see a future where names such as offensive coordinator Arthur Smith or defensive coordinator Teryl Austin stick around as the new braintrust sets up shop.
And depending on if the new head coach is defensively- or offensively-minded, the coordinator hire on the other side of the ball will be especially important.
Tomlin’s roster-building influence is gone
Like all head coaches in the NFL, Mike Tomlin has had an influence in the Steelers’ roster construction over the years. Now, that will be replaced with another coach’s preferences.
But on the flip side, Tomlin’s reputation around the league led to a lot of players wanting to join or continue playing for the Steelers — especially veteran free agents. That extends to players on the team, as well. With Tomlin now out of the picture, the odds of players such as Aaron Rodgers or Cam Heyward returning for another season drastically drops.
The team’s draw for free agents will change — potentially for the worse — this offseason, as well.
The Steelers have one of the most intriguing job openings in the NFL
The head coach hiring process is a mutual one. Just because a team has interest doesn’t mean a candidate will want the job.
In many ways, the Pittsburgh job is a fantastic opening. Historically, the team is patient with its coaching hire — remember, Tomlin stepped down — and the new head coach would be stepping into a team culture that’s used to winning and competing for a playoff spot. Teams such as the Jets have a reputation for chewing up and spitting out new hires. It’s the exact opposite case in Pittsburgh.
That said, the Steelers have an aging roster with no clear quarterback answers in sight. Especially for an offensive-minded candidate, this isn’t a particularly exciting roster to take over. Even if Ben Johnson was available in this coaching cycle, Caleb Williams’ potential in Chicago would still likely outshine the promise of stability in Pittsburgh.
It’s a weird year to need a new head coach
There were two obviously elite candidates in the 2025 NFL head coaching cycle in Ben Johnson and Liam Coen. While there’s no way of knowing how this year’s rookie head coaching class will eventually compare, it isn’t as immediately appealing — and there are a lot of open spots across the league the Steelers will be competing with.
Poaching from the college ranks is always a risk. And the top names with NFL experience — John Harbaugh, Kevin Stefanski, Mike McDaniels, Brian Flores — have all recently been fired from past head coaching jobs.
There are some potentially up-and-coming names in Klint Kubiak and Jesse Minter, to name a few, but there aren’t as many clear slam-dunk options this offseason. Time will tell if 2026 is a good year to look for a new head coach.
