Art Rooney II has confirmed that Mike Tomlin will not coach in the NFL during the 2026 season after leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers. Despite interest from several teams, his decision appears to be definitive.
“Mike indicated that he did not anticipate coaching at least in the near future. I think he wants to spend time with his family and do some of the kind of things he hasn’t been able to do for many years.”
The Steelers already have an important list of candidates to replace Tomlin. Rooney assured that the team will not tank to find a franchise quarterback, so the goal will be the same for the next head coach. Win the Super Bowl.
Mike Tomlin’s next job after Steelers
Mike Tomlin would not be an NFL head coach in the 2026 season. Rooney’s words strengthen the theory that he is seriously considering accepting an offer as a TV analyst for his next job or, alternatively, simply taking a year off. Undoubtedly, personal reasons are why he left the team.
Do NFL teams have to trade for Mike Tomlin?
NFL teams interested in Mike Tomlin must consider that the Pittsburgh Steelers retained the head coach’s contractual rights. That means that if they want to sign him, they would have to compensate the Steelers with draft picks. This would be similar to the case of Sean Payton, who took a year off after leaving New Orleans before later joining the Broncos.
For now, Art Rooney II isn’t even thinking about that scenario or how much the Steelers would ask in return for Tomlin. “If something like that comes up, we’ll deal with it when it comes up, but, right now, that doesn’t to be on his radar.”