Overview
- Rooney and general manager Omar Khan will lead an open search, and no current Steelers assistants are being considered for the top job.
- Pittsburgh retains Tomlin’s contractual rights, so any team seeking to hire him would need to trade draft compensation, per team officials and reporting.
- Multiple clubs contacted Tomlin after his announcement, but they were told he does not intend to coach in 2026, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
- Rooney said the organization still intends to contend each year and identified leadership as the key trait for the next coach, with a process expected to take weeks ahead of the combine.
- Rooney acknowledged Tomlin’s exit will likely influence Aaron Rodgers’ decision on his future, and media reports indicate broadcasters are expected to court Tomlin, with Fox mentioned as a possibility.