This season has been a wild one in the NFL, and the AFC North division is the greatest example. Myles Garrett set the NFL sack record, the Baltimore Ravens missed the playoffs, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, led by Aaron Rodgers, were demolished by the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round.
With all four AFC North teams eliminated, the head coach situations have become clear. The Cincinnati Bengals have decided to keep Zac Taylor, while the Ravens fired John Harbaugh, and the Cleveland Browns fired Kevin Stefanski.
But the most surprising news is that Mike Tomlin decided to step down from his Steelers job, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. What that means is that, somehow, Taylor is now the longest tenured head coach in the AFC North.
Zac Taylor is longest tenured HC in AFC North
"Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has informed the team that he plans to step away from coaching, meaning one of the greatest to do it will take a break," Rapoport reports.
While not a complete surprise, as there was buzz about Tomlin being out in Pittsburgh if they missed the playoffs, this is still a stunning announcement.
Tomlin, the 19-year head coach who's never had a losing season, is stepping away from his Steelers job. He could come back to the NFL in the future, but it likely won't be with the Steelers.
With his departure from the Steelers, along with Stefanksi and Harbaugh getting fired, Taylor, who's arguably the worst coach of the AFC North coaches, is the only one still with a job.
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Tomlin's legacy is incredible, while Harbaugh's is just as impressive. Both have been with their respective teams for well over a decade.
Stefanski has won the NFL's Coach of the Year honor twice, and while his team has struggled the last few seasons, there is plenty of buzz about where he'll coach next.
Taylor has been the Bengals' head coach since 2019, and with all of the AFC North head coach jobs open, he's now, by far, the longest tenured coach in the AFC North.
This is a situation no one would've expected at the start of the season, especially since Taylor was on the hot seat more than any other coach in the division to begin the season.
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