Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin Faces Speculation Over Future As Wild-Card Clash Looms
The Pittsburgh Steelers are third in the AFC North division and are preparing to face the Buffalo Bills in the pivotal upcoming NFL wild-card round. The Buffalo Bills are first in the AFC East division race; they have recently advanced by defeating the Miami Dolphins.
The head coach, Mike Tomlin, is one of the recent coaches whose name has come forward and is considered a potential leader who might have to leave the Steelers.
Other head coaches, such as Ron Rivera of the Washington Commanders and Arthur Smith of the Atlanta Falcons, have recently been let go. The Seattle Seahawks’ long-term head coach, Pete Carroll, has also been given an advisory role, as the Seahawks owner recently revealed.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter has revealed that the Steelers will not dismiss the current head coach, Mike Tomlin; however, the coach might take “some time off”. According to Pro Football Talk, Schefter shared, “They’re not firing Mike Tomlin. But here’s the thing that’s interesting. He’s got a year left on his contract. And there’s some people around the league who believe that Mike Tomlin could decide eventually to take some time off, like Sean Payton did. Maybe take a year off. We’ll see if that’s something that’s on his mind.”
“We’re leaning safe, but Mike Tomlin gets to dictate what happens here, not the Pittsburgh Steelers. They’re not firing him. He’s staying on. But he’s staying on if he wants to. If he decides that he’d like to walk, well that’s a different subject. And maybe there’s a team out there — he’s from Washington, his wife loves Los Angeles, maybe one of them wants to lob a call into the Steelers.”
The NFL insider Jay Glazer of Fox Sports has also pointed out that the decision to leave the Steelers squad would solely depend on the head coach, Tomlin. His contract will expire in the next offseason, which gives both parties time to decide. However, the decision rests on Tomlin, as he has achieved great heights with the Steelers and with time, more clarity on the subject will be provided.
