Steelers Now
As it turns out, teams were figuratively lining up outside the Pittsburgh Steelers’ door waiting for Mike Tomlin to step out of it. Tomlin, who stepped down from the post he’d held for 19 seasons, doesn’t seem interested in hopping into a new job in the same capacity just yet.
“In the hours after Mike Tomlin told the #Steelers he was stepping down, teams have contacted Tomlin to express their interest, sources say,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote Wednesday on X. “PIT has his rights and draft compensation would be necessary. That said, teams were told Tomlin does not plan to coach next year.”
Tomlin remains under contract with the Steelers through the end of next season. If he wants to coach somewhere else after resigning, he’d have to work out a trade between a new team and the Steelers.
Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith described the scene when Tomlin announced the news to his team during a meeting on Tuesday afternoon.
“It was a very tough moment, man,” Smith said on ESPN’s Freddie and Harry. “To see a guy who was so quintessential to this entire city, this organization, this entire football program in Pittsburgh, it was a bittersweet feeling. To have him address the team in an exit meeting in the fashion that he did, man, it was a bittersweet moment. He got a standing ovation.”
Tomlin finishes his Steelers tenure with a 193-114-2 overall record. He tied the legendary Chuck Noll for the most regular-season wins in the franchise’s history.
Aside from the Steelers, there are eight other head coaching openings in the NFL. The Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants and Tennessee Titans are also looking for new leaders. You’d have to figure some mix of those teams inquired about Tomlin.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Mike Tomlin Gives Teams Update on Future Plans
