One year ago, Mike Tomlin‘s future was a talking point. The Steelers had just lost in the wild-card round to the Bills, marking another one-and-done postseason for Pittsburgh. 
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The NFL’s longest-tenured head coach made he clear he intended to carry on in his current post, however, and in June his latest extension was in place. Tomlin is under contract through 2027 as a result, and owner Art Rooney II‘s most recent commitment appeared to put to rest doubts about a potential coaching change. In the wake of Tomlin’s postseason drought continuing for another year, though, questions have once again been raised about Pittsburgh making a move on the sidelines. To little surprise, that will likely not be the case.
The Steelers are expected to keep Tomlin in the fold, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Pittsburgh has been led by the 52-year-old since 2007, and in that time the team has never posted a record under .500. Tomlin won a Super Bowl in his second year at the helm and helped lead the Steelers back to the championship game in 2010. Things have taken a notable downturn over the past several years, however. Pittsburgh’s most recent playoff win came in 2016.
Rooney has remained consistent in his praise about Tomlin, whose tenure has produced 11 seasons with double-digit wins. The 2024 campaign appeared to offer considerable promise early on, with quarterback Justin Fields guiding the team to a 4-2 record before Russell Wilson returned to full health. Tomlin inserted the latter into the lineup, a move which was not unanimously backed by his staff. Wilson enjoyed several productive games at first, but toward the end of the campaign Pittsburgh’s offense struggled to score with or without top wideout George Pickens in the lineup. As Dulac notes, the Steelers’ five-game losing streak to close out the campaign included no more than 17 points being scored each time; the team had not managed that feat since 1969.
Dulac writes that changes of some kind being made along the staff could be forthcoming, but Tomlin’s influence on Pittsburgh’s defense in particular means continuity on that side of the ball will be notable provided he is retained. On offense, first-year coordinator Arthur Smith has drawn head coaching interest. He may be on the move shortly as a result, but in Tomlin’s case a 19th season at the helm is on tap.