Mike Tomlin’s future on an NFL sideline may already be settled.
After 19 seasons leading the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tomlin stepped away following last year’s Wild Card round loss to the Houston Texans and moved into a studio role with NBC’s Football Night in America. Since then, the Steelers have gone on with Mike McCarty, and both sides have looked plenty comfortable with the change.
Pittsburgh is 6-2 heading into its bye week and sitting alone atop the AFC North. Tomlin, meanwhile, has drawn strong reviews all season for his work as an analyst.
That backdrop made Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward’s comments this week especially notable. Heyward suggested Tomlin won’t be returning to coaching, even with plenty of buzz that he could be one of the biggest names on next offseason’s coaching carousel.
“Guys, he’s not coming back. He’s way too comfortable.
He told me as soon as he walked in, ‘I win every week now.’ And I’m like, ‘I get that.’
I get that. And I’m not gonna fight against that because that’s a pretty sweet job he’s got going on over there,” Heyward said, via Gerry Dulac, on Tuesday.
A day later, Dulac added another layer to the story, reporting that Tomlin has already communicated his intentions to the Steelers.
“My understanding is the Steelers are free of any compensation after this season if Tomlin returns to coaching. I will tell you, though, I have been told that he has told the Steelers he doesn’t intend to coach anymore. We’ll see,” Dulac said.
If that holds, it’s not hard to understand why Tomlin would stay put. He recently told Travis and Jason Kelce on New Heights that his NBC role is “part-time work, full-time pay.” Dulac also noted that NBC has reportedly backloaded Tomlin’s contract in an effort to keep him around.
After 19 seasons without a losing record and a Super Bowl ring, Tomlin has certainly earned the right to enjoy the view from the broadcast booth.
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Orioles Free Agency Plan Looks Clearer Than Fans May Want
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Among the pitchers being discussed as realistic fits are David Peterson, Nick Martinez and Patrick Sandoval, all of whom bring different kinds of appeal without pushing the Orioles into a bidding war. The outfield market looks similar, with two targets standing out as plausible additions if Baltimore sticks to its usual budget-minded approach. It is the kind of plan that can fill needs, but it also leaves open the question of whether the Orioles will do enough to match the expectations that come with a roster built to contend. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Keep Getting Linked To The Kind Of Move Fans Dread
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Martinez and Boyd each bring a different kind of appeal, from recent performance to the ability to cover multiple roles, but both also come with the sort of age and injury questions that make this market feel less than ideal. For a club trying to bolster its staff without overcommitting, the Orioles seem to be circling the kind of move that can stabilize a team in the short term while leaving plenty of debate about whether it is the right long-term answer. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Fans Have A New Reason To Watch Vance Honeycutt Closely
The Arizona Fall League handed out its annual awards this week, and for Orioles fans, Vance Honeycutt came away with a notable honor after being named Defensive Player of the Year. The recognition adds another layer of intrigue around one of Baltimores more closely watched young players, especially at a time when the organization is always looking for prospects who can impact the game in more than one way.
The AFLs award list also spotlighted a handful of other standouts from the season, with Welbyn Francisca taking MVP, Tai Peete earning Offensive Player of the Year and Jack ODowd being named Breakout Player of the Year. Kenya Huggins was selected as Reliever of the Year, Teo Banks received the Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award and Maddox Long won the leagues new Community Champion Award, but Honeycutts defensive recognition is the one that will keep Baltimore followers paying attention. [Read more 🡒]