Speculation about Mike Tomlin‘s plans for at least the immediate future can be put to rest. The NFL’s longest-tenured coach informed the Steelers he will remain in place for the 2024 campaign, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports. 
Only one year remains on Tomlin’s current contract. Given the general pattern of working out extensions with two years left on his pact followed by the Steelers, questions have been raised about a potential lame-duck season. Recent reports have pointed to Tomlin stepping back and evaluating his situation in the offseason, but he has very quickly arrived at a decision. Garafolo adds he is expected to speak to the media on the subject later this week.
Pittsburgh’s season – which, as has become commonplace in recent years, included doubts about Tomlin’s streak of never having a losing season – resulted in a 10-7 record and a playoff appearance. However, the Steelers’ wild-card loss to the Bills on Monday leaves the team without a postseason win since 2016. Criticism of Tomlin in that regard has intensified, but he received significant public shows of support from his players in the aftermath of the loss. Now, any potential Pittsburgh coaching search will be delayed by at least one year.
The 2023 campaign was defined in large part by Pittsburgh’s nearly unprecedented decision to make an in-season coordinator change. Replacing Matt Canada was a move many had called for leading up to his dismissal, but it did not yield the desired results on a consistent basis. The more significant alteration to the team’s success on offense came when Mason Rudolph took over at quarterback late in the year. Even after Kenny Pickett returned to full health from ankle surgery, Tomlin elected to stick with Rudolph as the the team found success in the ground game.
Tomlin would have been able to command a hefty trade market had he elected to depart Pittsburgh, and a report from Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer indicated teams around the league were inquiring about such a move. Given the length of his tenure, it would also have come as little surprise if the 51-year-old had elected to take a year off from coaching before returning in 2025. Still, today’s news marks the expected outcome given the mutual sense between Tomlin and the Steelers that their relationship would continue which emerged during the season.
Pittsburgh enters the 2024 offseason with a number of key questions to answer, including at the quarterback position. Rudolph is a pending free agent while Pickett’s chances of retaining the starter’s role heading into next season have obviously taken a hit. Veteran Mitch Trubisky is on the books for two more years, but his time with the Steelers is thought to be over. The team must also search for a permanent solution with respect to an offensive coordinator.
Tomlin will no doubt have a major say in both of those decisions as he prepares for an 18th campaign in charge of the Steelers. His contract status will remain a key talking point (especially if no extension is worked out in the offseason), but for the time being his future is no longer in doubt.
They were never going to fire one of the goats. Now the real question is should Tomlin be the coach of the year? There is a great argument he should be in the top 3 or maybe even the front runner for leading that Steelers team to the playoffs.
And he didn’t even trip anyone in the field of play this year big ups to Mike
I’m a Steelers fan and no way he’s coach of the year. Way too many more deserving candidates.
Agreed. Lifelong Steeler fan here and Tomlin is not COY nor a goat. Not at all. Preparing for yet another mediocre year of near .500 football next season. Nothing much to get excited about with the status quo.
Seriously, the man has NEVER a had a losing record for a season.
He has done it many times with smoke and mirrors. When was the last time he had an above average QB? I would say 3 or 4 seasons before Big Ben retired, yet the guy keeps winning.
Belicheat is below .500 without Brady…..well below 500.
Tomlin has never been below .500.
Tomlins only fault is he is too loyal and he needs to hire a forward thinking offensive coordinator. But again, if his QB sucks….
Tomlin is in the top 3 of NFL coaches today (top 5 for sure).
Sorry but his smoking mirrors are his doing he is the guy who claims to be the chef that gets to shop for his own groceries so he doesn’t get a pass because his rosters are lacking
Hasn’t won a playoff game in how many years ???
And please stop the narrative he led us to the playoff. Correct me if I am wrong but I believe the last 3 playoff appearances the Steelers got in because another team lost not because we won.
That’s not leading a team into the playoffs.
@SteelerBrave – lifelong Steelers fan here as well, but let me ask…
– have you tried fitting in a pair shoes Cowboys fans have been wearing the past 30 years?
– try out a different coach or coaches who could’ve failed year over year?
– have you gotten tired of having a chance every year until the final weeks or playoffs?
The guy has gone to the show twice. Had a winning record this year with an offensive line that needs more help and no QB to speak of. In a league that changes constantly due to caps and injuries, he’s managed consistency. I’ll go with him over most of the coaches out there, and he’s still only 51. Get him a QB and I think we have a path to more rings.
Almost a decade without a playoff win and blown out in their last five playoff games. Way past time for a change.
bubble4427 – Mediocrity doesn’t make him a COY candidate. Not saying he isn’t a great coach, but come on, NOTHING he did this year is deserving of COY. it’s an annual award, not a cumulative career award.
Are you drunk Ryan’s with a rookie QB as a rookie coach & Stefanski pulled a damn QB off the recliner to have a better record
How bout Dan Campbell bringing the Lions to the Division crown
You must be a Tomlin loop aid drinker
I’m a ravens fan, but a big admirer of Tomlin. He always seems to pull a team that looks DOA to a playoff appearance (especially this year). He’s been stuck with mediocre or old QBs for years. If he had someone decent, the Steelers would be the real rivals to the Ravens they’ve been.
It’s time for something new, draft a QB then get a guy like Flacco (sacrilegious as it may be) to be the bridge until that young QB is ready. Don’t just run a young 1st year guy, like Pickett was, as QB1 because it’s cheaper.
Pickett was the first round QB replacement for Ben Roethlisberger. At the time, Mason Rudolph was also considered a drafted candidate to become Big Ben. It looks like Rudolph has real potential now, with a bit of seasoning.
Don’t waste more draft picks on QB’s. Get in a better QB coach and develop Pickett as LaFleur developed Jordan Love (Love would have been a disaster if he’d been thrown into the fire untempered like Pickett). Run with a well-coached Rudolph who has shown that he’s a completely serviceable QB, capable of leading the team (in fist fights, and on drives).
I truly have no sense of this – would Justin Fields make sense in Pittsburgh in any way?
Any human being who isn’t Kenny Pickett makes sense.
Or Mitch Trubisky tbh.
Hey Russell Wilson, welcome to Pittsburgh…
Cousins. Russell Wilson. But please, not Fields
I’d rather have Fields than Wilson
Guess I watch too much football and read the comments of too many Bears fans. They’d love to see him go
Too run oriented….and gets hurt a lot
Not a pinpoint passer
He’ll be average, at best, for a career
I’d rather have the experienced guy who’s played in big games and has a chip on his shoulder thanks to his time in Denver
Or the strong armed passer in Minnesota who’s also been in big games
I wasn’t a fan of Fields at The Ohio State and nothing’s changed my mind since
Understood. Appreciate the clarification. I get the Wilson over Fields logic in hopes he catches fire to stick it to Denver. At this point, I’ll take Uncle Rico over Kenny Pickett or Trubisky.
You think Steelers draft another QB?
You know, Bambi, I don’t think they’ll do anything. That is, while I think Tomlin should demand getting a top flight QB, at the end of the day they’ll likely push Pickett as number 1 again
If I had to guess, they’ll let Rudolph walk to kill any notion of QB controversy in town and instead, bring in a couple lifelong backups
Maybe they’ll surprise me but I’m guessing they don’t want to admit they made a giant draft error in Pickett until they’ve exhausted the idea. 24 starts in, you’d think we passed that point
I’m just hoping someone with clout says, “We’re just a good QB away…”
But I’m not holding my breath
And I agree with you if you’re comparing Fields and Pickett
If I recall, Tomlin is on the record stating he wants mire athleticism out of the QB position. Fields makes a lot of sense because of that.
I (unfortunately) remember the Slash Stewart era. Fields would bring that back. Fun games to watch, no playoff success.
Does Rudolph have a market now? Nobody wanted him last offseason and he only played five games. Looked pretty good though.
He 100% will be on an nfl roster next year. Couldn’t say that 5 weeks ago. I would assume the Steelers bring him back and he competes with Pickett, with it being picketts to lose
Rudolph is the new Mitch. 2 year, $20ish million and a chance to compete for the (short term) starting job. Not bad in this real estate market. Wink Wink
There was never any doubt about Tomlin returning but rather, an exercise in which NFL talking heads tried to turn their own curiosity into “a thing”.
I’m no fan of any coach but as said on another thread, Tomlin should demand that an effort is made to get a top flight QB in place before training camp
It will never be Pickett
And Rudolph, while a nice story, can’t compete with the big timers
No brainer
My day just got better reading this!
Now for my honest feelings, does anyone here also believe we need someone else at QB?
I still believe Dan Rooney Jr is the biggest problem. If you look at some of the biggest draft busts the Steelers have had they come from the region he was known to scout the southeast
Also it is well known that Dan Rooney Jr had a relationship with Matt Canada mor than Tomlin did.
I feel like that has changed with the Weidle hire and now the draft board goes through him.
This past draft & its results have a completely different look than years past & I don’t believe it was on Colbert or completely on Tomlin. As he has moved up the hierarchy Dan Rooney Jr’s power has increased and I think the last few years it had become a problem but I feel like with the new regime it has been reeled in.
Good. He can be the Jets new HC in 2025 after they clean house
OK, please no more articles on Tomlin.
But they’re rumors and that’s part of the site name. Might want to go to different website, guy.
I wonder if him not being able to win a playoff game has anything to do with him getting teams that have no business being in the playoffs into the playoffs?
Preach!!! This man won 10 games with a Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph duo while a team like the chargers has Justin Herbert and is picking 6th.
True that. Much harder to find a difference maker after the first dozen picks are made,
Last four Pittsburgh drafts:
2023 – Pick 14
2022 – Pick 20
2021 – Pick 24
2020 – No 1st Round Pick.
Mediocrity rules the day. Good job cch.
Kenny is gonna be the starter next year with a new OC. I am shocked that Steeler fans on here don’t see the problem. Whether he is here or not the playbook is still Matt Canada’s & his plays are lacking key fundamentals. There is no short game plays in that playbook that you can count on. Even against the Bills in the Red Zone you seen the basic play Mason threw the Int to Elam.
Jut look at how many guys come into the league & turn the ball over at a ridiculous rate. Pickett doesn’t do that. He also is not used in a way that fits his skill set. They never roll him out and let him throw on the run. Only time he leaves the pocket he is running for his life. He never got to play with a consistently successful run game.
He deserves a shot with a legit OC. He is successful in the 4th quarter & he doesn’t turn the ball over. Will he be Pat Mahomes or Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson no but he could still be a successful QB in this league and he has the weapons he just needs a playbook & a center who doesn’t consistently snap the ball at his ankles damn near ever snap.
I like Freiermuth but the biggest draft blunder in the last 3 years was not drafting Creed Humphrey instead. Kenny is gonna surprise some ppl next year & if not and he falls on his face then they have the OC there and draft a QB that fits his style. To many holes to trade up & you are more than likely not getting a franchise QB @ 20
So you ride Pickett for a year I don’t want any part of Fields or Cousins or Wilson. Not that Rooney would ever make a move like that anyway. He is giving the Pitt QB every chance to succeed.
No idea what you are alluding to about the playbook. New OC means new playbook
And to again beat this dead horse, more than anything else, Rudolph’s strong arm and ability to throw deep prevented defenses from jamming the run continually (although the Bills still did it).
It’s clear that Canada and Tomlin devised a dink and dunk offense because they knew Pickett’s limitations. He doesn’t have the strong arm. He’s nervous in the pocket and under fire. He doesn’t read defenses and has tunnel vision
This guy will never be anything more than a game manager. A backup.
And the Steelers will never ascend with this type of QB
Get Cousins. Get Wilson. Heck, get Fields.
The front office and Tomlin must realize that an elite QB is what they need
Pickett will never be that. 24 starts in. He had his chance. The guy stinks
I am confused because I respect your footbal knowledge & I may have not made myself clear. I was talking about when Canada got fired and they had to play out the rest of the year. They still used Canada’s playbook. New OC means new playbook if that is at the start of the season not in the middle.
There is no way for a team to learn a brand new playbook in the middle of the year.
The running game was coming on before Mason got the call. It really started coming around when Broderick Jones got into the lineup. And yes Rudolph has a stronger arm than Kenny but let’s be real Pickens got way more YAC than Mason provided him in the air.
Kenny proved in the preseason that he can make the throws in the preseason.
I don’t know if he is the answer or not but you not getting a franchise QB in this draft unless you believe Nix or Penix are franchise QBs. I am not against them drafting one the feel is better than what they got but in no way you bring in any of those other guys you are talking about. If you are so definite about Pickett’s abilities I don’t know what you see in Fields must be an Ohio St fan or something. Cousins gonna cost too much & never been a Wilson fan. Better have a great OC & system because he is the definition of a system QB. And if Sean Payton don’t want a QB & thinks he is washed I would believe him over you & your assessment
So many inaccuracies here
First off, you must not be following the posts here. I was never a Fields fan, even at Ohio State
With the Bears, he looks to run first and gets hurt a great deal. But still, there’s more upside to him than Pickett. Even so, hard pass
You’re not a Wilson guy and I think Payton is one of the most overrated coaches in the NFL. I mean, he didn’t want Russ because he wouldn’t re-structure his contract? Really?
Wilson proved in Seattle that given the weapons, he’s top flight. His Denver experience certainly proved he didn’t have similar weapons
If we’ve learned anything about any professional league in the past few years, it’s that if a team wants a player badly enough, they’ll get him. It’s not that I’m a huge Cousins fan but he’s the best of the bunch for this offense. Pickens and Johnson would go crazy with stats. But unless the Vikes have a QB in waiting, hard to see them unloading him. And they don’t appear to have that guy
I thought Nix was an average QB at Auburn. He improved at Oregon but I don’t see him as an NFL star. Penix’s stock dropped after his performance in the last game
I liked Pickett at Pitt. Loved his evolution. Applauded the selection. Gave him 24 starts. That was enough. I detailed his problems above.
Nice that you wish to use pretzel logic here about him, the OC or the running game. I suspect that if you asked the offensive players in that locker room, they’d say Rudolph gave them a better chance to win
I tend to laugh at fans who think Canada was flying solo as OC. I laugh harder at people who think he and Tomlin together were some kind of morons when it came to offensive strategies and play calling
There was a reason Pickett wasn’t throwing downfield. There was a reason it was dink and dunk passing
Between his inability to hit receivers deep and in stride, his failure to read pro defenses and the need to have him only throw short passes thanks to his nervousness in the pocket, they built a plan to address his limitations
They could bring in the ghost of Bill Walsh and it won’t change anything. He was a waste of a 1st round pick
It was obvious Canada was flying solo. He was like a kid playing Madden if a play worked once he would continuously beat that play to death even the lower percentage back shoulder throws.
Now he may have been told to dink & dunk because of Kenny’s inexperience but when has a Tomlin not been a dunk & dunk team since Haley left.
I hear all that talk bout Kenny not being able to read defenses but I can’t say he will never be able to I actually feel he is better than given credit because the kid don’t throw picks
The line gave him no time that’s the death of a young QB ask David Carr or Sam Darnold or a ton of other young QBs
How many of those games did Diontae drop wide open or run a wrong route
Has Pickens actually learned yet to gain separation he has improved but he is not there yet
How many times early in the year you see a RB miss a blitz pick up or Freiermuth not even be able to chip a rusher off the edge
If you watched Pickett in college than you would know his legs are a weapon. How many designed roll outs or slide the pocket.
As far as Tomlin’s influence on the offense when exactly has he Arians was here before him & had years more experience than he did all on the offensive side
Haley was an established play caller that was a Rooney hire
Coach Randy was Ben’s boy Ben called them plays
Canada was really Tomlin’s first OC hire that had his hands on it in 17 years to be honest I really don’t think he was Tomlin’s guy either.
Again I don’t know what Kenny is but the 1st round pick earns him the right to get a legit OC to see if they can bring the best out of him
I don’t care about fighting for a 6 or 7 seed & finishing 1 game above .500
I care about if Kenny is not the guy than it would put us in better position to draft one while getting young guys the opportunity to develop on the field instead of these cast off band aids they bring in for every other position
Teams in the NFl prove a total rebuild could be done in a couple seasons where this retool has gotten us nowhere in 13 years now
Again, so many inaccuracies here
If you really believe Canada was flying solo as OC—knowing full well Tomlin is largely a control freak—-I have no idea where we go. I guess it lends credence to your belief that the OC was the problem with Pickett.
It’s funny that you bring up Haley, a guy who would be called an innovator in comparison to these past few OC’s but a guy who Roethlisberger the diva didn’t like. (Funnier that on his latest podcast, Roethlisberger says Rudolph should be given the opportunity to start next season. Gee, if only Benny had mentored Rudolph instead of shunning him)
Random thoughts:
-Kenny was a nice scrambler in college. True. These players are bigger. And much faster. You mean the injuries and concussions he’s had tell you nothing?
– Again, ask any opposing DC why they loaded the box with Pickett. Talk about a transparent game plan. They had no worries about deep passes. No defense of the o-line here—they still need to upgrade—but the pressure came off of them when Rudolph became QB
-Drops? Yeah, let’s see what Mahomes says about such things.
People look at Najee’s comments as being reflective of “he doesn’t want to be here” and unfortunately, that’s ignorance personified. I followed the guy at Alabama. Good back. Stand up guy. No surprise to me he broke out when the box was no longer loaded. I get that he’s talking about discipline now—a different issue for another day— but you watched the games. Tell me what back could excel when he’s getting the hand off as 3-4 defensive players are on top of him? No one
“It’s like they already know our plays”. Yeah, that’s on the OC and coach, but the there was a reason for their strategies
I’ll let you have the last word but will leave in saying that I predict you’ll get your wish. They’ll stick with Pickett in hoping to justify their first round selection. And if anything, bring in a stiff like Darnold to hold the clipboard
It’s the Steelers way
The best plan of attack in my opinion is to find your OC, let him bring in a back up that knows his system, give Kenny the job and if he falls flat you draft a guy next year.
This team is far from championship material in a lot of areas. Most important spots you need to shore up is clearly ILB, C, LT & CB.
But I know a lot of Steeler fans on here only care bout sliding into the playoffs and are not willing to take a step back in order to take 2 forward down the road.
Any of the 3 QBs mentioned are not franchise QBs either. They are band aids when you need stitches.
I don’t understand this love affair with the 6th or 7th seed. Another Tomlinism of We don’t live in our fears yet it seems like to many ppl have a fear of having a losing record.
As long as they play hard and get better from week 1 to week 18 is the most important part of a rebuilding team. And it’s been proven trams can turn it around fast. Look at Philly they win the Super Bowl & in a couple years a whole new staff new QB & they make it back. This retooling is obviously failing. Went from a team with consistent championship aspirations to a team happy to get the 7th seed because Jax lost.
I guess he didn’t want that internship with Dr. House.
Seriously do you watch the same games or because your old you think you know what your talkin about
Seriously Najee started running better when they stopped putting guys in the box ?
Najee started running better when he started doing what he did at the end of last year & hit the hole instead of tip toeing and trying to follow his blockers. He started running like his size says he should instead of running like a lightweight.
And I am not defending Pickett he may be all those things you say he is but for me & this is my opinion he hasn’t been put in the greatest position to succeed & neither was Rudolph for that matter when Ben didn’t give him the time of day.
And Tomlin the control freak really ????
The only OC he supposedly picked and again I still don’t believe he picked him was Canada.
Why is he a control freak because he runs the defense that’s the side of the ball he came from
He stepped aside when Munchack came in the staff that was a Rooney hire
Haley was a Rooney hire
He is a control freak because he butted heads with a 100 yr old Dick Lebeau because he wanted to implement his own beliefs on the defensive side of the ball as head coach he should do that
Damn he wanted to keep Arians that was Rooney letting him go
I am the farthest thing from a Tomlin fan but damn try to be a little objective
And what cause you watched Alabama cause they were onTV every damn week that makes you a Najee expert
When the kid runs hard he has success when he tippy toes to the line he doesn’t don’t need to be an expert to see or know that
Truly, the most out of touch comments I’ve read on this site in some time. And condescending. Nice touch.
Your a funny guy I am condescending but yet you are the almighty and nobody can disagree with your take on a guy
Your a funny guy
I am at least open to admitting I still don’t know about the guy but you know all
I watched Najee in college so I know more than everybody else
Go ahead with that bullish clown