Mike Tomlin’s next move may already be settled, and if the latest reporting is right, the Steelers are preparing for life without him on the sideline for good.
Cam Heyward made that point pretty bluntly this week, saying he doesn’t expect Tomlin to return to coaching after spending this season with NBC. Heyward pointed to how comfortable Tomlin seems in his new role and even relayed what Tomlin told him when he got there.
“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.
Dulac then added another layer on Wednesday, reporting that Tomlin has already informed the Steelers of his intentions.
“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.
Tomlin spent 19 seasons as Pittsburgh’s head coach before stepping away after last year’s Wild Card round loss to the Houston Texans. Since then, he’s joined NBC’s Football Night in America as a studio analyst, while the Steelers moved on with Mike McCarty.
The change has worked out well on both sides so far. Pittsburgh is 6-2 heading into its bye week and sitting alone in first place in the AFC North, while Tomlin has drawn strong reviews for his work on television.
He’s also been open about how good the setup is. On New Heights with Travis and Jason Kelce, Tomlin described his NBC gig as “part-time work, full-time pay.”
There’s also the business side of it. NBC reportedly backloaded his contract in an effort to keep him around longer.
After 19 seasons without a losing record and a Super Bowl ring, Tomlin has certainly earned the right to enjoy the softer landing. If he’s done coaching, the signs suggest he’s perfectly content staying that way.
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