Mike Tomlin’s post-Steelers life may already be set.
After 19 seasons running the Pittsburgh sideline, Tomlin stepped away following last year’s Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans and moved into a studio role with NBC’s Football Night in America. While the Steelers handed the job to Mike McCarty, Tomlin has settled into his new gig - and, according to reporting from Gerry Dulac, he may have already told the organization he’s not planning a return to coaching.
Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward didn’t sound like a man expecting a reunion anytime soon.
“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 followed that up on Wednesday with a report that pointed in the same direction.
“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, Tomlin’s new setup is tough to argue with. He told Travis and Jason Kelce on New Heights that his NBC work is “part-time work, full-time pay.” Dulac also noted that NBC reportedly backloaded Tomlin’s contract in an effort to keep him around longer.
Meanwhile, the Steelers have opened the season 6-2 and head into their bye week alone in first place in the AFC North. Tomlin, for his part, has drawn strong reviews all season in the broadcast booth.
After 19 seasons without a losing record and a Super Bowl ring, Tomlin has earned the right to decide what comes next.
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What makes the situation stand out is how far beyond the Pirates usual comfort zone it reaches. The club has not signed a free agent to a deal bigger than Francisco Lirianos three-year, $39 million contract from 2014, and keeping Lowe would require a much more aggressive financial leap than that. For a team that has spent years avoiding that level of commitment, this is the sort of choice that can define an offseason before it really gets going. [Read more 🡒]