Mike Tomlin has reportedly made final decision about next job in 2026 after leaving Steelers

After leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin is not expected to coach elsewhere in 2026. According to a report from Adam Schefter, although there may be several offers, Tomlin would prefer to take a year off.

“It sounds like he’s going to want some time to decompress after a long and hard 19-year run, that included a Super Bowl title in Pittsburgh, and he’ll have time to think about what he wants to do next and with the rest of his life. Mike Tomlin is going to be desired in any number of places. He could have a coaching job tomorrow if that’s what he wanted. I don’t believe, I don’t sense that that’s what he’s going to want at this particular time.”

Tomlin was unable to achieve the goal of winning the Super Bowl with Aaron Rodgers, and after nine years without a playoff victory, the situation became untenable. As a result, he made the decision to step down.

Did Steelers fire Mike Tomlin?

No. The Pittsburgh Steelers did not fire Mike Tomlin. The head coach informed the team that he no longer wanted to remain in charge and chose to step down. This is very important because the Steelers will retain his contractual rights. If Tomlin signs with another team, there would have to be draft pick compensation.

Mike Tomlin could be a TV analyst

Schefter mentioned that one of the strongest possibilities for Mike Tomlin is becoming a TV analyst. “Look, we’ll hear from Mike Tomlin at some point in time, but my sense is that he’s going to go into television. That there’ll be any number of opportunities that await him. Now, he could decide to do TV, which is what Sean Payton did during the year that he was out. It keeps people involved in the game without having to work coaches’ hours or he simply could just take the year off.”

What’s next for Mike Tomlin?

Mike Tomlin’s next step seems to be far from the possibility of taking another head coaching job in the NFL. At the moment, there appear to be only two paths in his future: becoming a TV analyst to stay connected to the league, or definitively taking a full year off to reset and then return.