There have been plenty of whispers about Mike Tomlin potentially returning to coaching as early as the 2027 season. The former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach stepped down following another playoff loss after the 2025 season, and he's spending the 2026 season as an NBC studio analyst for Football Night in America.
But Tomlin could soon get that itch to return to coaching... and a handful of teams should already have the former Super Bowl-winning coach on their radar.
Because Tomlin is technically still under contract with the Steelers, the long-time head coach is prohibited from speaking with teams. That much we know. However, there is a lot of grey area as to when the Steelers' contractual rights over Tomlin actually end. The initial report from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests that will happen early in the 2027 offseason.
And the moment he decides to come back to coaching, these six disappointing teams should be interested.
These six teams could pursue former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin if he returns to coaching
Washington Commanders
Dann Quinn has been great as a defensive coordinator over the years, but he's just not a good head coach. This was evident during his underwhelming tenure with the Washington Commanders.
At 1-3-1, Quinn's team is on track to finish last in the NFC East this year, and the front office could move in a new direction in 2027. Tomlin would be a prime candidate, and with Jayden Daniels in town, the former Steelers head coach wouldn't have to worry about finding a franchise quarterback.
Los Angeles Chargers
I don't think anyone envisioned the Chargers' season going as poorly as it has gone in the first five weeks of the season. Despite the offseason buzz, Los Angeles is 0-5, and Jim Harbaugh could get the axe if he doesn't pull a complete 180 soon.
Tomlin would be a wise choice to help fix a talent-depleted defense. And assuming quarterback Justin Herbert isn't traded anytime soon, Tomlin could help the once-promising QB revive his career.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Even with an impressive Thursday Night Football win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5, Todd Bowles can only hang around for so long. Over the past two seasons, the Buccaneers' offense has gotten progressively worse.
While Tomlin obviously isn't an offensive-minded coach, he could bring the stability to the franchise that it has lacked in recent years. Tomlin could help the Bucs return to a top-tier defense while playing his brand of football (create takeaways and don't give the football away).
Indianapolis Colts
Colts general manager Chris Ballard is fighting for his job, but that doesn't feel safe at the moment. The Colts are just a middling team, at best, and they can only go so many years in a row without a playoff win before big changes feel inevitable.
Meanwhile, Colts' owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon would likely welcome the stability and experience of a head coach like Mike Tomlin if the team cleans house and moves on from HC Shane Steichen. Tomlin is a floor-raiser, but his presence might be enough to help Indianapolis finally get over the hump.
New York Jets
The New York Jets look like a better team than most expected in the early going. However, nobody should be convinced that Aaron Glenn is going to be this team's head coach for the 2027 season. His tenure in New York has been rough overall, with few bright spots to note.
This is a big-market opportunity, and Tomlin could be intrigued—especially when you consider the abundance of draft capital the Jets will have next year. With several foundation young roster pieces already in place, this finally looks like an intriguing job, and the Jets could be interested in Tomlin.
Cincinnati Bengals
Surprised to see the Cincinnati Bengals on this list? While the Steelers certainly wouldn't trade Tomlin within the division, Pittsburgh may not hold the rights to trade him after 2026 anyway. It would be hard to watch Tomlin on the Bengals' sideline, but this would make a ton of sense for both Cincy and Tomlin.
Zac Taylor is the longest-tenured coach in the AFC North, but if he doesn't lead his team to playoff success this year, he could be on the way out. If the Bengals went after Tomlin, the former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach would be entering a situation where he already has a top-tier offense and a franchise QB in Joe Burrow. All he would have to do is help take the defense to the next level.
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