Ex-Steelers coach Mike Tomlin reportedly signals he won't return to coaching
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The gist
Former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin reportedly gave Pittsburgh notice on his final decision about returning to coaching.
Pittsburgh is 6-2 without him, and a Steelers player says he's staying in media.
Background
Mike Tomlin spent 19 seasons as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, winning a Super Bowl and eight AFC North titles, with a 119-114-2 record and 13 playoff trips; Pittsburgh's last postseason win came in the 2016 season. He stepped down in January 2026, a day after a 30-6 Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans, and was replaced by Mike McCarthy. Tomlin now works as an NBC studio analyst, and with the Steelers 6-2 and first in the AFC North, questions about whether he will coach again have followed him.
How it unfolded
- Jan 13, 2026Tomlin stepped down as Steelers coach, one day after Pittsburgh was blown out 30-6 by the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round.
- Jan 14, 2026Steelers owner Art Rooney II said Tomlin expressed he won't be coaching in the near future; ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Tomlin did not plan to coach in 2026 despite teams contacting him.
- Apr 26, 2026In his first interview since leaving, Tomlin told Maria Taylor that a lack of recent postseason success played a role in his decision.
- Sep 2026Tomlin began his debut season as a broadcaster for NBC's Sunday Night Football.
- Nov 3, 2026Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward said on the Rich Eisen Show that Tomlin is not coming back because he is too comfortable in media; The Ringer's Bill Simmons also asked whether Tomlin had been holding back Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers.
- Nov 5, 2026Tomlin reportedly gave the Steelers notice on his final decision about a return to coaching, with Pittsburgh 6-2 and alone in first place in the AFC North.
- Nov 9, 2026Tomlin discussed his Week 9 news with Maria Taylor, including the offensive success of the Green Bay Packers and Cincinnati Bengals.
Key terms
- Super Bowl
- The annual championship game of the National Football League, determining the league's season winner.
- AFC North
- One of the four divisions of the American Football Conference in the National Football League, grouping the Ravens, Bengals, Browns and Steelers.
- Wild Card
- An invitation to a tournament given to a player who did not qualify through normal ranking or entry.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Party
- Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward said Tomlin is not coming back because he is too comfortable, quoting Tomlin as saying he wins every week now.
- Analysts
- The Ringer's Bill Simmons asked whether Tomlin was the very thing holding back quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers, given their strong start under Mike McCarthy.
- Expert
- Tomlin, now an NBC analyst, praised Todd Bowles' steadiness as a leadership strength, saying he doesn't ride the emotional roller coaster.
Still unverified
Tomlin's reported notice to the Steelers about his final decision on returning to coaching is described as "reportedly"; ESPN's Adam Schefter reported, citing sources, that Tomlin does not plan to coach in 2026.