Overview
- Owner Art Rooney II said he was prepared to keep Mike Tomlin for 2026 but described the coach’s decision to step down as his own and likely family related.
- Rooney indicated Tomlin does not anticipate coaching in the near term, and multiple teams that inquired were told he does not plan to coach in 2026, per Ian Rapoport.
- The Steelers control Tomlin’s coaching rights and could seek draft compensation if another club tries to hire him while he remains under contract.
- Rooney said the next head coach likely will not come from the current staff, as media and insiders float external candidates such as Brian Flores, Jesse Minter and Chris Shula as possibilities.
- TV networks have already extended offers to Tomlin, according to Rapoport, while Pittsburgh begins a rare coaching search with broader roster questions still unresolved.