The Pittsburgh Steelers snuck into the playoffs thanks to a last-second missed field goal.
Who knows if Mike Tomlin would still have a head-coaching job without that?
But that's an alternate reality, not the current one, and so Tomlin has a playoff game to try and win on Monday night against the Houston Texans.
Tomlin, in his 19th year with the Steelers, got some buzz late in the season as a potential coach on the hot seat, but it's not clear what might happen now.
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There may even be a chance that Tomlin would step away himself.
"Mike Tomlin's future has been hotly debated of late," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes. "There is no firm evidence as of now that Tomlin would leave Pittsburgh after 19 seasons. He's been fiercely loyal to Pittsburgh. But a source close to Tomlin believes stepping away is at least a possibility. Does he need a break? It's a question that hasn't quite gone away, though only Tomlin truly knows what he will do."
If Tomlin steps away from Pittsburgh, he could shift gears altogether.
Turns out, he's a hotly desired candidate for TV.
"TV opportunities would await Tomlin if he does want to entertain them," Fowler writes. "My understanding is that networks have had open invitations for Tomlin if he ever left coaching."
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This isn't the first time this has been reported. Tomlin is clearly well thought of by broadcast folks, who get to sit with coaches ahead of games and recognize the qualities that could make for a good television commentator.
Tomlin, thanks to this playoff berth, probably holds his future in his own hands rather than anything else. It may be up to him to choose the next steps.
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- Travis Kelce uses New Heights to share a major retirement update