The Buffalo Bills should at least make the call.
Mike Tomlin seems to have made it clear he doesn't want to coach in 2026 after stepping away from the Pittsburgh Steelers after 19 seasons. But he's the best available name, and the Bills need a head coach after firing Sean McDermott.
Tomlin, who was a college teammate of McDermott's, would already have all sorts of insights into whether it's a spot he'd want to be.
He knows the Bills have superstar QB Josh Allen, the type of player Tomlin never had in Pittsburgh, even at the peak of Ben Roethlisberger's powers.
MORE: Why Bills had no choice but to fire Sean McDermott
He knows how much Bills fans care about football, in a way rather similar to Steelers fans.
He also would know the stakes would be high immediately.
The Bills would know, of course, that it wouldn't be easy to land Tomlin.
Tomlin could have a lucrative TV contract coming his way if he wants it. The Athletic's Andrew Marchand has written in the past that Tomlin could get a $100 million deal. Front Office Sports references current contracts in the $17-18 million range as likely comparisons for Tomlin.
Considering Tomlin was just making $17 million per year with the Steelers, a hiring by the Bills seems like it'd have to be in the same five-year, $20 million per year ($100 million total) range that John Harbaugh just got from the New York Giants, at least.
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That wouldn't even complete the deal, though. The Bills would also have to trade for Tomlin's rights. Since he stepped away from Pittsburgh and wasn't fired, Buffalo would have to make a deal just for the right to negotiate with Tomlin.
In the past, a trade like that (Sean Payton most recently) has cost a first-round pick and more.
Still, though, this is Mike Tomlin. The Bills can't miss on this hire. It might all be worth it.
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