Mike Tomlin is one of the longest-tenured head coaches in the NFL. But he may be ready to move on from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter spoke on ESPN Monday to discuss the status of many coaches across the NFL ahead of the busy “Black Monday.” The reporter shared some interesting information regarding Tomlin.
“He’s got a year left on his contract. And there are some people around the league who believe that Mike Tomlin could decide, eventually, to take some time off, like Sean Payton did. Maybe take a year off. We’ll see if that’s something that is on his mind,” Schefter said.
Schefter even mentioned the Commanders and Chargers as teams that might have interest in Tomlin if he became available.
Tomlin has been the Steelers’ head coach since 2007. He won a Super Bowl in his second season on the job and led the team to another Super Bowl appearance in his fourth year in the job. The Steelers have never had a losing record under Tomlin, which is a major testament to his coaching ability. But the team’s fan base has grown unhappy with the team’s unproductive offense and inability to win a postseason game; they haven’t won a playoff game since 2017.
Many Steelers fans are frustrated with Tomlin, which makes him underappreciated. As Schefter said, Tomlin would be hired instantly if the 51-year-old were to become available.
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NFL rumors: Mike Tomlin ‘could walk away’ from Steelers after playoffs due to 23′ drama
Will Mike Tomlin remain with the Steelers in 2024?
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a challenging 2023-24 season. Yet, Pittsburgh was able to squeeze into the NFL Playoffs with an AFC Wild Card spot. Head coach Mike Tomlin has been criticized for the Steelers’ cold stretch during the season, the final straw could be broken after the playoffs.
The drama of 2023 could cause Mike Tomlin to leave Pittsburgh behind
Pat McAfee and Adam Schefter discussed the head coach’s status after Pittsburgh clinched a spot in the postseason:
“I don’t know what Mike Tomlin is gonna do but I can tell you that people put there in the league think after this season he could away,” Schefter said, per The Pat McAfee Show.
Coach Tomlin has taken a lot of the slack for the Steelers’ flat performances. One major criticism came from former QB Ben Roethlisberger.
“You can’t afford in the second half of games to burn silly timeouts and not have them late in the game. To me, that’s bad coaching,” Roethlisberger claimed. Tomlin’s clock management woes plus Pittsburgh’s collapses in games have caused fans to question his competency.
Moreover, some have criticized Tomlin for his conservative playcalling. All in all, one important fact remains: the Steelers were able to finish the season with a winning record and get into the NFL Playoffs.
