The Pittsburgh Steelers have no plans to fire Mike Tomlin, but they could give a big hint as to how they feel about his long-term future with the organization in the offseason.
Tomlin’s contract contains a team option for 2027, and the Steelers must decide if they plan to pick it up by March 1, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. If the Steelers were to decline the option, Tomlin would essentially go into 2026 as a lame duck head coach.
The Steelers have no intention of firing Tomlin, and the coach also has a no-trade clause. Any deal with another team can only be made with his blessing, though if he has reason to think the Steelers want to move on from him, he might have some decisions to make.
There has been increased scrutiny regarding Tomlin’s job status recently as the Steelers are in real danger of missing the playoffs. Fans have even started to turn against him. The Steelers have not fired a head coach since 1941, however, and are known to be very reluctant to make such rash changes.
If the Steelers do want to move on from Tomlin, it would make sense that they would just run his contract down and go their separate ways. The decision they make within the next several months could give a big hint as to whether they are thinking that way or not.
