Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was asked about his future with the team after Sunday night’s 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round. Tomlin was rather mum in his response.
“I’m not even in that mindset as I sit here tonight,” Tomlin said. “I’m more in the mindset of what transpired in this stadium, and certainly what we did and didn’t do. Not a big-picture mentality as I sit here tonight.”
#Steelers HC Mike Tomlin, asked about his future, said he’s “not in a big-picture mentality as I sit here tonight.” pic.twitter.com/1TXXI1H2Ge
— Alan Saunders (@ASaunders_PGH) January 13, 2026
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter recently floated the idea that Tomlin could take a TV job after this season. Tomlin has received significant heat this season and in recent years, as expectations have not been reached.
Peter Schrager of ESPN thinks Tomlin would be excellent on TV.
“Having worked at Fox, having worked at NFL Network, and now here at ESPN, there’s a chair waiting … for Mike Tomlin to make a lot of money talking football if he so wishes,” Schrager said on the possibility of Tomlin taking a TV job.
During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show on Wednesday, Tomlin threw cold water on a post-coaching career job in TV.
“I don’t participate in any of that,” Tomlin told Eisen when asked about the TV rumors. “I can’t allow myself to. I’m not even really privy to the specifics of what you’re talking about. I just realize it’s a component of what I do and what we do. You better learn to live with it or at least endure it.”
“I’m institutionalized, man, I’ve gotta have it. I just love the challenges that week-in and week-out, that this job provides. The growth in it. The collective growth. The individual growth. A lot of lessons I’ve learned in life have kinda been through my football experience. I’ve been on a team every year of my life since 1980. And so, I really appreciate it.”
According to a report by Schefter, Tomlin’s contract extension with the team, a three-year deal he signed in 2024, is actually a two-year deal with an option for the 2027 season. The Steelers will have to make a decision about whether to pick up that option this March.
Tomlin could also decide to walk away if he feels like his time with the Steelers has ran its course.
Alan Saunders and Brendan Howe provided reporting from Pittsburgh.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Mike Tomlin Addresses Future with Steelers after Loss to Texans
