If the Vikings are staring at another disappointing finish in 2026, Mike Tomlin would be one of the first names to jump into the conversation.
That might sound far-fetched at first glance, but the fit is more natural than it looks. Tomlin is no longer on the Steelers sideline after 19 seasons in Pittsburgh, where the run ended with zero playoff wins in his final 10 years and a stretch in which simply finishing above .500 was treated like an achievement. He and the Steelers parted ways after last season, and now he’s spending this year as an analyst for NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.”
When the season ends, if Tomlin decides he wants back in, he’ll be a major presence on the coaching market. And the list of teams he’d seriously consider is probably pretty short.
He addressed that recently on the “PFF NFL Show,” when NBC colleague Cris Collinsworth asked whether he’d return to coaching.
"It’s certainly not a 32-team league for me. But I've also learned to never say never.
I love to coach. I love all the challenges of the profession.
I love the being a part of growth and development of young people individually. I love the measurement of the seven-day cycle.
But I also have enjoyed the last six months. Life on this other side that I had no idea about.”
Tomlin is only 54, which matters here. He became the Steelers’ head coach at 35, so this isn’t some retired coach looking back on the game from a distance. If he wants to coach again in 2027, there’s every reason to think he’ll have the chance.
And Minnesota is one place that makes sense in this discussion because of where Tomlin’s coaching story started. The Steelers hired him with just one season as a defensive coordinator on his résumé, and that lone year came with the Vikings in 2006 under first-year head coach Brad Childress.
That Vikings defense was loaded. Kevin and Pat Williams anchored the “Williams Wall,” the team finished with the NFL’s No. 1 run defense, and it allowed the eighth-fewest total yards in the league. That season helped put Tomlin on Pittsburgh’s radar after Bill Cowher retired.
Vikings fans didn’t forget him quickly. It didn’t take long for plenty of them to wonder whether he should have been retained or even elevated when Childress was later in charge, especially after Tomlin won a Super Bowl in his second season with the Steelers. But the Wilfs were never going to move on from their first head coaching hire just one year into the job, even after a 6-10 season.
Now the franchise may be heading toward another crossroads with Kevin O’Connell entering his fifth season. An every-other-season trend would point to a playoff berth this year, but if Minnesota goes another season without a postseason win, the pressure is going to rise.
Mark Wilf said about a month ago that when it comes to playoff wins and championships, the family’s patience over more than 20 years is not "infinite."
So if the Vikings again miss the mark in the playoffs this season, O’Connell’s future could hinge on what replacement options are available. And if the year goes completely off the rails - something like 10 or 11 losses and no realistic shot at the postseason with weeks left - he could be out before the team even starts weighing alternatives.
If that door opens in 2027, Tomlin would likely be on the short list of candidates he’d actually think about. Two decades after leaving Minnesota, he could be in position to take the job that some fans once wished had been his all along.
In Other News...
Vikings Face A Tough J.J. McCarthy Decision No One Expected
J.J. McCarthys standing in Minnesota has taken an unexpected turn, and the next move could be shaped as much by business as football. The Vikings are reportedly expected to seek playing-time conditions on any draft pick they receive in a potential trade involving the quarterback, a sign that the team would want any return tied to how much the next stop actually uses him.
McCarthy has already lost the starting job to Kyler Murray and is also dealing with an ankle injury, which has only fueled questions about where this goes from here. Kevin OConnell has said he wants to keep working with McCarthy, but there have also been rumors about a difference in how invested OConnell and former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah were in the quarterback, adding another layer to a decision the Vikings did not appear to expect this soon. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Lose Tight End Depth At Worst Possible Time
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For now, Minnesota will lean on its veteran pairing of T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver to handle the tight end load while it waits to see when Yurosek can return. The hope inside the building is that he can be back later in the season, but the timing is less than ideal for a team trying to keep its offense and supporting pieces steady right out of the gate. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings May Have Found Demond Claibornes Fastest Path To The Field
The Vikings didnt use a premium pick on Demond Claiborne, but they may have given him a clearer route to playing time anyway. Drafted in the sixth round, the rookie running back enters a crowded backfield behind veterans Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, so Minnesota has been looking for ways to make his speed matter right away. His preseason work has only strengthened the idea that he can help sooner rather than later.
Kick return duties could be the quickest way for Claiborne to get on the field, and that would fit the kind of multi-purpose value teams want from a late-round pick. The Vikings are still sorting out how he might fit into the offense as well, but special teams offers an immediate opening and a chance to turn his explosiveness into something more tangible while he waits for a bigger role in the backfield. [Read more 🡒]