Ex-Steelers coach Mike Tomlin reportedly signals he won't return to coaching
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.
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.
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