Mike Tomlin is not going to be fired this offseason after what is shaping up to be another disappointing season, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. But there is an interesting decision point coming up this March. Schefter reports that Tomlin’s three-year extension signed last offseason contains a team option for the 2027 season that has a decision coming up in March.
“After this season, Tomlin’s contract will have two years remaining on it — 2026 and a team option in 2027. But according to league sources, the Steelers must decide whether to pick up the option on Tomlin’s contract by March 1,” Schefter wrote.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are not going to fire coach Mike Tomlin, but they do have a significant decision to make early next year based on the option year in his contract, sources tell ESPN.
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— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 6, 2025
Tomlin was signed to a three-year contract extension on June 10, 2024. This season is the first of three in that extension. Next season will be the final regular year before the reported option year in 2027. According to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, his three-year extension is worth roughly $50 million. It’s unknown how much of that money is on the final option year if they choose to pick it up in March.
The fact that this news is even surfacing right should raise some eyebrows. It’s been a big topic in the media all week, so I’m sure insiders have been digging for notable news related to the subject, but Tomlin was under intense scrutiny at the end of last season. It wasn’t surfacing then, so why now? Maybe it’s the fact that the option decision is reportedly less than three months away.
March roster bonuses are common in the NFL with March being the beginning of the NFL calendar each year. With the decision reportedly due March 1, the Steelers decision makers will know Tomlin’s status by the time free agency starts a couple weeks later. That also brings clarity as it pertains to their draft plans.
If they decline his option, then Mike Tomlin will be entering the 2026 season as a lame duck. I suppose it’s possible that they could extend him after 2026 if things go really well, but it also opens up a can of worms for his immediate future next season. Lame duck seasons aren’t great for the organization, and they aren’t great for the coach, either. It creates an unnecessary distraction with an elephant in the room for the entire season.
“If the Steelers decline to pick up Tomlin’s option, they would be allowing their head coach to enter the final year of his contract next season, which teams typically prefer not to do,” Schefter wrote. “And if neither side has any commitment to the other beyond 2026, it would bring into play a whole host of options.”
Schefter didn’t outright say it, but he is insinuating that a declined 2027 option could potentially lead to a mutual split in 2026.
In the event that his option is declined and a mutual split occurs, the Steelers would be without a head coach for the Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl, and the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine ahead of an important draft where they hold a projected 12 draft selections. Many think this draft, which is happening in Pittsburgh, will be focused on bringing in a potential franchise quarterback in the first round.
For now, the Steelers are 6-6 and still have a chance to win the AFC North. That starts with the division leaders this weekend on the road against the Baltimore Ravens. If the media circus surrounding Pittsburgh wasn’t bad before, now there is an even bigger distraction, one that Tomlin may not be able to avoid speaking to if the Steelers lose their third game in a row on Sunday.