After 19 years as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin officially stepped away from the position Tuesday following a Wild Card playoff exit against the Houston Texans.
An important distinction
is that Tomlin was ultimately the one who chose to move on, not the Steelers. He wasn’t fired, and as a result, the Steelers retain the rights to his contract. Tomlin was reportedly signed through 2026 with a team option in 2027.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Tomlin plans to take a break from coaching. But if he returns to coaching by the end of 2027, the Steelers could trade him to an interested team.
The situation mirrors that of former Saints and current Broncos head coach Sean Payton, who retired in 2021 while still under contract with New Orleans. When he accepted the Denver job in 2023, the Broncos traded a 2023 first-round pick and 2024 second-round pick to the Saints in exchange for the rights to Payton and a 2024 third-rounder.
Pittsburgh has several pivotal offseasons approaching.
