Mike Tomlin made the shocking decision to step down as the Pittsburgh Steelers' head coach earlier this year. After 19 years at the helm and a lot of success during his tenure, Pittsburgh needs to find its next leader for this team.
However, the game had caught up to Tomlin, and it was getting harder to justify keeping him around.
His play had been declining in recent years, and no matter what changes were made in the offseason, this team could never get over the hump. Tomlin was a great coach with the rare ability to always remain in competition. That certainly has value in the league.
Now, all eyes are on who takes over as head coach.
For those of us looking to the future, though, Tomlin could still be a valuable asset in a trade. His stepping down means the Steelers still have control over his contract, and if he opts to coach next year (similar to Sean Payton before he went to Denver), a team would have to trade for him.
According to Jay Glazer, that won’t happen, as he thinks Tomlin is done. This would be a tough pill to swallow for the Steelers.
Mike Tomlin being completely done with football is the worst case for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Tomlin stepping down as he did seemed like a great outcome. You get the new face to hopefully get this team over the hump in the postseason.
You also retain the rights to Tomlin if he wants to continue coaching. The league holds Tomlin in high regard (and for good reason). During next year’s coaching cycle, he will have plenty of interest.
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Coach trades usually net healthy returns. We saw the aforementioned Payton get a first-round pick plus a swap of day two picks. To get a similar return for Tomlin next year would be a massive boost for the franchise.
More than likely, the Steelers are going to need a quarterback next year, as their rookie options this year have dried up. Netting an extra first-round pick becomes a huge chess piece.
If the Steelers have a top pick, they may not need to trade up to land their guy. That second first-round pick can then add more talent to surround that guy with.
If Pittsburgh has some success, you then have another first-round pick to help you move up and get your guy. Being able to trade Tomlin gives the Steelers a huge advantage in 2027.
If Glazer’s report is true, then we are really out of luck. The hope should be that Tomlin decides he wants to return to coaching next year. If not, the Steelers will have an even tougher road ahead of them to return to the top of the AFC.