Is Mike Tomlin staying in Pittsburgh? The contract length of Steelers HC

It’s been one of the main topics in the City of Bridges all season long. After the elimination against the Houston Texans, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a decision to make regarding Mike Tomlin. Now, fans across the NFL are wondering if this has been Tomlin’s last game in Pittsburgh.

Tomlin presents a particularly tricky situation. The Super Bowl–winning head coach signed a three-year extension with the Steelers in 2024, meaning his job is technically secured through the 2027 NFL season. However, anyone who’s been around the league knows there’s no such thing as true job security. Nothing is set in stone, and any contract can be torn up in the blink of an eye. For Tomlin and his tenure in Pittsburgh, that’s no different.

Still, reports indicate the Steelers are unlikely to fire their head coach. Instead, according to insider Ian Rapoport, Tomlin’s 19-year run in the Steel City will only come to an end if he decides to walk away.

“Mike Tomlin is not getting fired. It’s not going to happen,” Rapoport stated recently. “If in fact he decides to not be the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach next year, it’s not like he would say: ‘All right, I’m going to the Atlanta Falcons or pick a random team.’ It’s not going to work like that. I would imagine he would take a real break. No indication that’s coming right now, but, for me, that would be the only other option for Mike Tomlin and his future.”

Tomlin dilemma

After a 10–7 finish to the 2025 NFL season, Tomlin extended his streak of non-losing seasons to 19 straight years. However, fans in Pittsburgh feel stuck in a loop. They are treated to a consistently middle-of-the-pack team—one that never hits rock bottom, but also never reaches new heights.

Something has to change if the Steelers are serious about becoming true contenders. If being a first-round playoff exit is the goal, then staying the course makes sense. Whether moving on from Tomlin is the right move to spark real change, though, is a conversation of its own.

Steelers are in for a drama-filled offseason

Whether Pittsburgh moves on from its long-tenured head coach or not, the decision is sure to be a constant topic throughout the NFL offseason. On the one hand, Tomlin is responsible for the Steelers consistently making the postseason. There’s also an argument to be made that the roster has held the head coach back—though, at the same time, the head coach bears responsibility for putting those pieces together.

There are two ways this could all play out. The Steelers could make a rushed decision to part ways with Tomlin immediately after their playoff elimination, or they could wait to see how the leaguewide coaching carousel shapes up. If a better option becomes available, Pittsburgh might seriously consider hiring a new head coach for the first time since Tomlin arrived in 2007.

However, given the way things are trending, the Steelers may opt to allow his contract to run its course rather than cutting it short and making the situation more dramatic than it needs to be. Fans in Pittsburgh have been calling for change for quite some time now; they may just have to wait a little bit more.