The Pittsburgh Steelers have not had a losing season since 2003, which is one of the more impressive streaks in all of professional sports. For the majority of the stretch, Mike Tomlin led the way with 19 great years in the Steel City. Despite this, the organization hasn't been victorious in the postseason dating back to the 2016 campaign. After a 2025 Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans, the future Hall of Fame head coach made the decision to step down from his post. It came as a bit of a shock and it left players and fans alike searching for answers.
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Former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stands on the sideline as his team takes on the Kansas City Chiefs during a regular season home game at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
The Steelers still have the contractual rights to Tomlin due to his contract, and could technically trade him if he were interested in coaching somewhere else. Instead of pursuing that avenue, he inked what is likely to be a very financially-favorable deal with Football Night in America. He will be in front of all NFL fans prior to each big primetime game that occurs on NBC in 2026.
There have been reports that suggest that Tomlin has no future plans to get back into coaching, but things can change very quickly, especially for someone as competitive as Tomlin. He would be in line to have pretty much any job he wants if someday he did want to get out of the television world and back onto the sideline. It seems unlikely right now; however, he is still just 54 years of age.
Since stepping away from the Steelers, Tomlin has not been shy about appearing in public. On Thursday evening, he was present for the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder's Western Conference Finals matchup. He ran into Green Bay Packers star edge rusher Micah Parsons, and the defender didn't care about any cameras that were around. He directly told the Super Bowl champion coach to head to Wisconsin.
"Hey, we got a spot for you," Parsons said to Tomlin.
Tomlin, who has always been very careful about what he says in certain moments, noticed the cameras that were around the two. Parsons never specified what kind of role he was suggesting Tomlin take with the Packers; however, the veteran leader flipped the script quickly as he gave a quick look toward the cameras and joked with the star shortly after.
"You know you always got a spot with me," Tomlin responded. "Whatchu talking about?"
It's fair to mention that Parsons has a head coach and a brand new defensive coordinator in Jonathan Gannon. However, the comments do mean that there are players around the league that remain very interested in playing for Tomlin. It was a quick, lighthearted moment, but it still hammers home the fact that if and when Tomlin does want to return to the NFL, he will have his choice of where he ends up based on openings.
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin roams the practice field as his team works out during a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Fans in Pittsburgh won't necessarily forget about Tomlin, but he may fade a little bit quicker if Mike McCarthy were to have success right away. There was a possibility that the Packers were going to part ways with Matt LaFleur after a playoff defeat, but he ended up agreeing to an extension instead.
No job is safe in the NFL, and it sure would be very ironic if Green Bay didn't exceed expectations in 2026 and LaFleur was relieved of his duties. That would leave an opening for Tomlin and, perhaps, Parsons was planting an early seed just in case.
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Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers tries to get away from Green Bay Packers star pass rusher Micah Parsons during a home game in Pittsburgh, PA at Acrisure Stadium.
Steelers No Longer Really Care What Tomlin Is Doing
Tomlin's incredible run in Pittsburgh should not go unnoticed or disregarded. The 19 years he spent with the team were great, but he is no longer a part of the locker room. The team is certainly much more focused on what is going on in the present. The only way the former head coach would come up in conversation is if a trade could occur; however, the time to do that has pretty much passed.
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