Mike Tomlin is stepping down as the Pittsburgh Steelers' head coach after 19 seasons.
ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler reported the stunning news on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after Pittsburgh's blowout loss to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round.
"Breaking: After a historic 19-season run in Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlin just informed his team that he is stepping down as the Steelers head coach," Schefter reported.
Tomlin is expected to step away from coaching for at least a year and find a role on television covering the NFL. However, an NFL insider did reveal Tomlin's preference for his next head coaching job.
According to NFL insider Josina Anderson, Tomlin would like to coach in a warm-weather area and will only accept a head coaching job if it's a seamless fit.
"NEW (More Nuggets): League sources also have told me, 'Mike Tomlin has told people that he would prefer to coach in a warm-weather environment, if it fits," Anderson reported on X.
There are a few warm-weather teams with head coach options, including the Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons. However, it's unknown whether Tomlin has an interest in any of these franchises.
More than likely, Tomlin will move over to TV for a season or longer and evaluate his future in coaching afterwards.
It's unlikely he pursues a job in this year's cycle, but if he does, he will basically have his choice of any opening, besides the Steelers, obviously.
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