Mike Tomlin may already have made his call on coaching again, and the Steelers apparently know it.
After 19 seasons running the Pittsburgh sideline, Tomlin stepped away following last year’s Wild Card round loss to the Houston Texans and moved into NBC’s Football Night in America studio role. Pittsburgh turned to Mike McCarty in his place, and both sides have settled in nicely. The Steelers are 6-2 and sitting alone atop the AFC North entering their bye week, while Tomlin has drawn strong reviews all season as an analyst.
This week, Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward made it sound like Tomlin isn’t itching to get back into the grind.
“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 made his feelings known to the organization.
“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, it would hardly be a shock. Tomlin has also described the NBC gig to Travis and Jason Kelce on New Heights as “part-time work, full-time pay.” On top of that, NBC reportedly backloaded his contract in an effort to keep him 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.
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The spotlight figures to fall on the quarterbacks, with Oklahoma State leaning on Drew Mestemaker and Texas Tech turning to Thomas Castellanos to keep its attack rolling. Recent game results and coach comments have only added to the sense that this one could turn on execution and composure, especially with one new concern hanging over the Red Raiders as they prepare for a tougher-than-usual conference challenge. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Faces A Big 12 Test That Could Reshape Everything
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For Texas Tech, this is the kind of road test that can sharpen a strong season or expose the thin margin that still exists in conference play. Oklahoma State has enough on its rsum to make this more than a simple home date, and the prediction attached to the game leans toward the Cowboys, which only adds to the intrigue for a Red Raiders team trying to keep its momentum intact. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Has Momentum Building In More Than Just Football
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The football program is doing its part, too, with Thomas Castellanos earning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors after a strong outing and A.J. Holmes landing among the semifinalists for the Bednarik Award. Even the future is starting to take shape, with softball set to join the 2027 Shriners Childrens Clearwater Invitational. For a program that wants to be relevant across the board, it has been a good stretch to have on the calendar. [Read more 🡒]