Steelers Now
Former Pittsburgh Steelers free safety Ryan Clark has been on record that it might be best for Mike Tomlin to have a change of scenery. He thinks Tomlin is still a great coach and is unfireable, but his message seems to have gone stale in Pittsburgh. He wants Tomlin to go to a new franchise and have his “Andy Reid moment.”
Clark believes a mutual parting of ways from Tomlin and the Steelers after 19 years is on the horizon.
“Mutual parting of ways after they lose to the Ravens this weekend,” Clark said on ESPN’s First Take. “The Rooney/Mara family, because of that, Mike Tomlin’s now the new head coach of the New York Giants. You wanna make a splash. You want to get the right guy. You wanna change the culture. That’s the way to do it.”
The Giants have struggled to find a competent head coach since parting ways with two-time Super Bowl champion Tom Coughlin after the 2015 season. Ben McAdoo, Pat Shurmur, Joe Judge and Brian Daboll all had short tenures.
The Rooneys have had a close relationship with the Mara family for decades. Could the Maras make a big swing and work out a trade with the Rooneys for Tomlin? Of course, Tomlin has a no-trade clause, so he would have to sign off on it. But the Giants could be an intriguing team for Tomlin.
The Giants are 3-13 this season, so they’ll have a top-5 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. There’s also pieces to build around with rising quarterback Jaxson Dart, running back Cam Skattebo, outside linebacker Brian Burns and nose tackle Dexter Lawrence.
If he lands in New York, Clark thinks Tomlin would have instant success with the Giants. He even made a bold prediction, stating that Tomlin would lead the G-Men to the playoffs in Year 1.
“Mike Tomlin leads the Giants to the playoffs,” Clark predicted.
Depending on Sunday night’s outcome against the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers could look like a very different team in 2026, especially if Tomlin’s 19-year tenure as the team’s head coach comes to a close.
The Steelers will have to make a decision this March about the future of Tomlin.
According to a report by Adam 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.
Furthermore, the Steelers will have to make a decision about whether to pick up that option next March. Tomlin could also decide to move on if he wants a change of scenery. The Steelers are currently on a eight-year playoff win drought. The longest playoff win drought since pre-1972.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Ryan Clark Makes Eye-Opening Prediction for Mike Tomlin’s Future
