It came as a relative shock when Mike Tomlin informed the Pittsburgh Steelers that he was stepping down as head coach of the team. After a nearly 20-year run, Tomlin decided that he wanted to step away.
The real question is, what comes next for the potential Hall of Famer?
It looks like we got our early answer. News broke recently that Tomlin had hired a sports media representative. It seems likely he will be on some sort of NFL coverage team next year.
More importantly, he isn’t completely stepping away from the game. Coaching was never going to be in the cards as he was still under contract with the Steelers, but his move to media could be short-term.
It wouldn’t be the first time that a coach temporarily stepped away but remained in the media.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers HC Mike Tomlin could follow in a similar direction as another prominent coach
After a similarly long and successful run, Sean Payton retired as the Saints' head coach before turning around and dabbling in broadcasting. That stint was short, as he turned around in 2023 and became the head coach of the Denver Broncos.
It feels like Tomlin could have a similar arch. Like Payton, his time in Pittsburgh had grown stale, and the team was failing to get over the hump. A rebuild seems just around the corner, so his decision to leave wasn’t completely surprising.
Serving in a media role keeps you prevalent, though. Every week, you get TV time and get to keep your eyes on every team. It is harder to fade into obscurity with a television job.
Given how adamant Tomlin has been that he loves coaching and everything that goes into it, I wouldn’t be shocked if, within the next two seasons, he is interviewing for coaching gigs. He stays relevant in the media before making a grand return to coaching.
What does this mean for the Steelers? With him still under contract, another team would have to trade for his services. Payton netted a first-round pick and a second for a third-round pick swap when he was moved.
More importantly, the Broncos have found a lot of success since making that move. Other teams will certainly take notice and hope to emulate that with Tomlin.
On one hand, I’m looking forward to hearing Tomlin as an analyst on Sunday. On the other hand, it doesn’t feel like a long-term fit for him. I fully expect Tomlin to garner some coaching interest after his stint in the media.