Mike Tomlin may have already made up his mind about coaching again, and the Steelers appear to know it.
After 19 seasons leading Pittsburgh, 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. The Steelers, meanwhile, turned to Mike McCarty, and both sides have settled in nicely since the change.
Pittsburgh is 6-2 heading into its bye week and sitting alone atop the AFC North. Tomlin has also drawn strong reviews for his work as an analyst throughout the season.
Still, his name has hovered over the next coaching cycle, especially with the expectation that he would be one of the biggest prizes available. But Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward doesn’t sound like he expects Tomlin back on an NFL sideline.
“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 let the organization know where he stands.
“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’s the direction this is headed, it’s easy to see why Tomlin would be content. He recently told Travis and Jason Kelce on New Heights that his NBC gig is “part-time work, full-time pay.” There’s also his contract with NBC, which reportedly was backloaded to give him extra incentive to stick around.
After 19 seasons without a losing record and a Super Bowl ring, Tomlin has certainly earned the chance to enjoy the view from the studio desk.
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