The Pittsburgh Steelers are likely to pick up Mike Tomlin’s option this offseason, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport. Rapoport says that while there is the deadline for the Steelers to pick up the option by March 1, it is likely they will select it, so Tomlin’s contract would then run through the 2027 season.
“Mike Tomlin is not going to get fired by the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Rapoport said Sunday morning. “It is not going to happen, based on his success, based on his relationship with Art Rooney and the organization. If Tomlin is not the coach of the Steelers in 2026, my understanding is it’ll be because that is what he wants.”
The Steelers have not fired a coach since 1968, making it unlikely they would move on from Tomlin in that manner, but Tomlin could choose to walk away and the option changes the calculus for his future.
If the team is going to pick up the option or even decline, another extension would make sense if team president Art Rooney II still believes Tomlin is the right man to lead the team.
However, if Rooney looks at the situation and has questions, which would be warranted given the Steelers have fallen from 4-1 to 6-6, then perhaps the separation between Tomlin and the Steelers is likelier than people think.
Rooney will have make that critical decision this season on just how much he believes in Tomlin and his future with the Steelers.