It’s going to take more than a few disrespectful “Fire Tomlin” chants to get Mike Tomlin out of Pittsburgh.
Tomlin will not be fired and will return as Steelers head coach in 2026 unless he chooses not to, but 2026 could be the last chapter of the era, according to reports from ESPN and NFL Network.
The Steelers hold a 2027 team option on Tomlin’s contract that must be decided upon before March 1, 2026. That means that the next five regular-season games — including Sunday’s first-place showdown with the Ravens in a battle for both teams to stay above .500 — could be the last played before a decision is made. Declining the option would mean that Tomlin is coaching on a walk-year in 2026.
The Steelers (6-6) haven’t fired a head coach since 1968 and only three men have held that position since — Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Tomlin, all of whom are Super Bowl winners. Declining Tomlin’s option and letting him walk away after 2026 would be an optics and semantics move that could be important to the franchise’s place as the model of patience and stability across pro sports under Rooney family ownership.
Steelers fans have begun to lose patience with Tomlin, who hasn’t had a losing season in his first 18 years at the helm but hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016. A 4-1 start has given way to to a 2-5 stretch that dropped the Steelers into a tie in the AFC North with the surging Ravens.
If Tomlin was let go after this season, teams would be lined up to hire the second-winngest active coach in the league. Start that list with the Giants, whose Mara family ownership is intertwined by marriage with the Rooneys.
Then again, if Tomlin was to take a year off before getting back into the game — or if he is free after the 2026 season instead — he wouldn’t be any less in demand.
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The Steelers will hold organizational meetings after this season, and Tomlin’s full body of work will be reviewed, sources told ESPN. It’s hard to argue with a 189-113-2 record that places him No. 11 all-time in wins (all with the Steelers) and No. 2 behind Andy Reid among those patrolling the sideline on Sunday.
Tomlin’s contract reportedly includes a no-trade clause that allows him to control his fate.
If Tomlin decides to step down on his own after the 2025 season with one year left on his deal, the Steelers would receive compensation for allowing Tomlin to seek another job in 2027. That’s similar to the arrangement between the Saints and Broncos after Sean Payton took a year off between jobs.
