After playoff run ends, will Mike Tomlin walk away from Steelers?
Before the Bengals-Steelers game in Week 16, we reported on NBC's Football Night in America (and posted here) that: (1) the Steelers will not be firing coach Mike Tomlin (who at the time was caught in a three-game losing steak); (2) the Steelers intend to extend his contract after the season; and (3) the Steelers had received no indication whatsoever from Tomlin that he wanted to do anything other than continue to coach the Steelers.
After I said what I said about it, Tony Dungy (who hired Tomlin in Tampa Bay more than 20 years ago) said Tomlin wants to stay in Pittsburgh.
Over the weekend, a pair of insiders said some things about Tomlin that have created the impression he might walk away, as soon as upon conclusion of the current playoff run. It's important to look at their exact words.
First, Jay Glazer of Fox: "Mike Tomlin, couple weeks ago people were asking for him to be gone. Are you kidding me people? He's never had a losing season. So Mike Tomlin, it'll be his choice if he goes back to the Steelers or not. And it will be his choice."
Second, Adam Schefter of ESPN: "They're not firing Mike Tomlin. But here's the thing that's interesting. He's got a year left on his contract. And there's some people around the league who believe that Mike Tomlin could decide eventually to take some time off, like Sean Payton did. Maybe take a year off. We'll see if that's something that's on his mind. We're leaning safe, but Mike Tomlin gets to dictate what happens here, not the Pittsburgh Steelers. They're not firing him. He's staying on. But he's staying on if he wants to. If he decides that he'd like to walk, well that's a different subject. And maybe there's a team out there — he's from Washington, his wife loves Los Angeles, maybe one of them wants to lob a call into the Steelers."
Both reports confirm the idea that the Steelers aren't firing Tomlin. (Of course, both reports came right after the Steelers finished the season on a three-game winning streak, not in the aftermath of a three-game losing streak that included a pair of losses to two-win teams.) Both reports open the door for Tomlin to choose to leave.
Schefter's report was initially vague as to the timing of when Tomlin would go. Near the end, his speculation centered on the Commanders or Chargers trying to trade for him.
We covered that on December 23: "Could another team call the Steelers in the offseason and try to essentially trade for Tomlin? Sure. But the Steelers don’t want Tomlin to go. And they have no reason to believe Tomlin wants to be anywhere other than where he currently is."
Tomlin wouldn't have to wait around as head coach of the Steelers to see if/when someone calls the team to engineer a trade. He could resign, bide his time, and wait for someone to inevitably approach the Steelers about hiring him. (Remember, after Payton left the Saints, the Dolphins wanted to hire him right away.)
A new wrinkle was added this week: the firing of former Steelers linebacker Mike Vrabel. If Tomlin would choose to go, Vrabel would be a perfect replacement. And Vrabel, who would have far greater job security with the Steelers than anywhere else, would potentially be more attracted to a return to the team that drafted him, not to the team he won Super Bowls with.
His coaching abilities are proven. He'd do well enough to stay in Pittsburgh as long as he wanted. Ten years. Twenty years. However long he wants to coach.
It all comes down to whether Tomlin chooses to stay. As of December 23, the Steelers had no reason to think he was anything but all in for the future. If he was simply doing a great job of keeping his cards close to the vest or if his attitude has in some way changed, it would be interesting to see first what Tomlin does next and second how long it would take for Pittsburgh to make a beeline for Vrabel.
