What's next for Mike Tomlin? Why Steelers coach's future in Pittsburgh is up in the air after first-round playoff exit

Daniel Mader

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What's next for Mike Tomlin? Why Steelers coach's future in Pittsburgh is up in the air after first-round playoff exit image

The Pittsburgh Steelers don't have a clear direction moving forward.

For years, they've been stuck in a bit of AFC purgatory. The Steelers have made the playoffs in five of the last six seasons, but they also haven't won a single game in any of those trips. They won the AFC North in 2025, but it came as a result of a so-so 10-7 record and near-collapse down the stretch. Now, there will be massive decisions to make.

Aaron Rodgers and the 2026 quarterback situation is one of them, but perhaps an even larger looming question for Pittsburgh is whether or not to bring back head coach Mike Tomlin. While he's long been regarded as one of the best coaches in the NFL, Tomlin's Steelers teams appear to have hit a consistent wall of good-not-great production and quick playoff exits.

The Baltimore Ravens set a potential precedent last week, firing one of the longest-tenured coaches in the league in John Harbaugh. Will Tomlin join him on the open market?

Here's a breakdown of Tomlin's future in Pittsburgh.

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Will the Steelers fire Mike Tomlin?

For the time being, it's unknown what the Steelers' plans are for Tomlin. The offseason has long been circled as the time to address those questions, and it officially arrived in Pittsburgh on Monday night with an ugly 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans to close out Wild Card Weekend.

Pittsburgh could certainly choose to bring its experienced coach back for 2026. Last month, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the expectation is the Steelers will not be firing Tomlin.

"Nobody in the Steelers' organization nor around the NFL expects Pittsburgh to fire Tomlin; the organization hasn't fired a head coach since 1968," Schefter said.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reflected the same, adding that if Tomlin isn't with the Steelers in 2026, it'd likely be because the Steelers coach decided to step away.

"As sources have explained, if Tomlin doesn't coach the Steelers in 2026, it will be because he made that decision," Rapoport reported.

Still, until there's official word from the Steelers, Tomlin's job can't be considered safe. Pittsburgh has struggled to maintain its status as an AFC power in the last decade despite continually sneaking into the playoffs — a lack of a star quarterback has been part of the problem, as the Steelers have cycled through Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Kenny Pickett in recent years.

Firing Tomlin could help the Steelers buy into a full franchise reset, something they may need to finally commit to. He's certainly a legendary voice in the franchise's history and one of the NFL's all-time coaches, but every great coach has also eventually had an exit from their team; Bill Belichick (Patriots), Pete Carroll (Seahawks) and Harbaugh (Ravens) are all among legendary figures to part ways with their Super Bowl-winning teams in the past few years.

After Monday's playoff loss, Tomlin said it was “certainly a disappointing end to our season," per Brooke Pryor.

"When you don’t get it done, words are cheap," Tomlin said. "There's too much talking in our business.”

Rodgers also came to the defense of his coach, saying he disagrees with the idea of coaches like Tomlin or Matt LaFleur being on the "hot seat" and blaming the way the league is covered for those possibilities being discussed.

All things said, Tomlin's future will be a massive storyline for the Steelers in the coming days. If he hits the open market, he'd immediately become a top candidate for other open head coaching positions, joining Harbaugh.

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How long has Mike Tomlin coached the Steelers?

Mike Tomlin has been the head coach of the Steelers since the 2007 season.

As of January 2026, he is the longest-tenured coach in the NFL, having been at the helm in Pittsburgh for 19 years. In those 19 years, the Steelers have never once had a losing record, only missing the playoffs six times. 

Tomlin guided the Steelers to a Super Bowl title in 2008 and another appearance in the Super Bowl in 2010. 

MORE: The full list of longest-tenured NFL coaches

Mike Tomlin record

  • Regular Season: 193-114-2 (.628)
  • Playoffs: 8-12 (.400)

Tomlin's 193 wins in the regular season are tied for ninth all-time, per Pro Football Reference. He's regarded as one of the best coaches in league history, from his Super Bowl title to guiding a non-losing team every year of his Steelers career.

However, while the 2008 Lombardi Trophy helped mask things for a while, playoff success has been ice-cold in Pittsburgh for some time. The Steelers' last playoff victory came following the 2016 regular season when they beat the Chiefs in the divisional round. Tomlin's unit then lost to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.

Since then, Pittsburgh has made six trips to the playoffs without even one win to show for it. Five of those immediate exits came over Wild Card Weekend, with the other being a 2017 exit in the divisional round.

While the Steelers have had either nine or 10 wins in each of the last five seasons, they've failed to make any playoff impact under Tomlin. The veteran head coach got off to a terrific start in the postseason with Pittsburgh. But in the years since his Super Bowl win, Tomlin's playoff record has dropped all the way to 8-12, including his most recent loss to the Texans. 

MORE: Breaking down Mike Tomlin's playoff record, wins

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