The New York Jets may already be laying the groundwork for a run at Mike Tomlin next offseason.
NFL insider Jason La Canfora reported that the Jets have started preparing for a possible pursuit of the former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, who is now part of NBC’s “Football Night in America” crew after stepping away from the Steelers in January.
“Numerous well-placed league sources close to NFL ownership groups-including teams whose current coaches are under fire-state that preliminary groundwork for a potential pursuit of NBC’s Mike Tomlin is already underway in East Rutherford,” La Canfora wrote.
La Canfora also said an executive familiar with Jets owner Woody Johnson believes Johnson is already digging into Tomlin’s background in the event the team has a head coaching opening heading into the 2027 season.
“Woody is starting to ask a lot of questions; he’s doing his homework on Tomlin,” they said to La Canfora. “This one has legs.
I’m telling you. Mike is in New York at Rockefeller Center for NBC, Woody is back in charge at the facility, and he knows how steep the competition will be.
You are going to hear a lot about the Jets.”
Tomlin has not pursued another NFL head coaching job since leaving Pittsburgh, where he spent 19 seasons and won a Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XLIII while never finishing with a losing record.
Even so, his name is already likely to dominate the coaching market if he ever decides to make himself available. As a future Hall of Famer, Tomlin would instantly become the biggest prize on the board for any team with an opening.
There’s still uncertainty about what comes next for him. But if he chooses to return to coaching, the interest figure to be immediate and loud.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio recently reported that the Steelers won’t be able to trade Tomlin’s contract rights if he takes another job.
If that turns out to be wrong, Pittsburgh could potentially land a first-round pick - and maybe even two - from the Jets or another team that hires him, a haul that would help in the franchise’s search for a franchise quarterback.
The Steelers might prefer to see Tomlin land outside the AFC, but they won’t have a say in where he goes if he jumps back into the coaching ranks.
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Mike Tomlin Could Soon Be Back In The AFC Spotlight
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For Steelers fans, the more interesting part is the company Tomlin is being mentioned with. There is already speculation tying the Jets and Tomlin to Lamar Jackson, who is expected to seek a trade in 2027 if contract uncertainty lingers, which only adds to the sense that New York could be preparing for a much larger reset. For now, it is still a rumor trail more than a finished plan, but it is the kind that keeps Tomlin in the AFC conversation long after the season ends. [Read more 🡒]