Overview
- Multiple reports say ownership is not considering an in-season change, consistent with the franchise’s long-standing reluctance to fire head coaches.
- Declining the 2027 option would leave Tomlin entering 2026 on a de facto final-year timeline, a scenario teams typically avoid with head coaches.
- Any trade would require Tomlin’s approval because his contract includes a no-trade clause, leaving a mutual parting as the other reported non-firing path.
- Public pressure has grown as fans chanted for a change and ex-Steelers Ben Roethlisberger and James Harrison urged a fresh start, while Tomlin acknowledged fan frustration.
- Pittsburgh is 6-6 heading into a road game against Baltimore for sole possession of first place in the AFC North, a result that could shape post-season evaluations.