Mike Tomlin’s future on an NFL sideline may already be settled, and the latest reporting suggests the Steelers have been told as much.
Tomlin stepped away after 19 seasons as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach following last year’s Wild Card round loss to the Houston Texans. Since then, he has moved into a studio role with NBC’s Football Night in America, while the Steelers have gone on with Mike McCarty at the helm.
The split has worked out well on both sides. Pittsburgh is 6-2 entering its bye week and sits alone in first place in the AFC North. Tomlin, meanwhile, has drawn strong reviews for his work as an analyst throughout the season.
Still, speculation has lingered about whether Tomlin could return to coaching, especially with his name expected to come up during next offseason’s coaching carousel. But Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward poured cold water on that idea this week.
“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 may have already made his position clear 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 reporting holds, it would explain why the chatter around Tomlin’s return has started to cool. He has also been open about the appeal of his NBC role, telling Travis and Jason Kelce on New Heights that it is “part-time work, full-time pay.” NBC has 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 right to take his time - or stay exactly where he is.
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