How Mike Tomlin Stepping Down from Steelers Affects Dolphins Head Coaching Search

As if this year’s coaching cycle couldn’t get any crazier, another head coaching job opened Tuesday. Mike Tomlin is stepping down from his post with the Pittsburgh Steelers after 19 seasons.

That means the Miami Dolphins now have eight other teams to compete against for their head coaching opening, and the Steelers entering the fray likely changes the hierarchy of the preferred spots for prospective candidates.

Tomlin stepping down might not directly impact the Dolphins, but there are a few angles worth examining.

Can the Dolphins Get Mike Tomlin?

The short answer is no. The long answer is that it’s highly improbable, especially for this upcoming season. For starters, Tomlin wasn’t fired, so the Steelers retain his rights.

Any team that wants Tomlin for 2026 would have to trade for him, as the Denver Broncos did with Sean Payton a few years ago. Speaking of Payton, Tomlin is expected to follow a similar path.

Payton did one year of TV for FOX before jumping back into the coaching ranks, and multiple national reports have indicated that Tomlin plans on doing the same thing. Pretty much every major insider has indicated that Tomlin will take a break from coaching this season.

So, if the Dolphins want to make a push for the coach they reportedly almost hired in 2007, they’ll likely have to wait for next season.

Pittsburgh Entering Coaching Carousel Could Push Miami Down Candidates’ Lists

This is the real storyline to watch with Tomlin leaving the Steelers. There are now nine head coaching openings, meaning more than 25% of the league will have a new head man in 2026.

Pittsburgh will likely vault to the top of the preferred coaching landing spots. There’s nothing special about the Steelers’ roster, salary cap situation, or draft pick haul.

It’s just one of the league’s most historic franchises. Alongside the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers, the Steelers are considered one of the more revered historical franchises in the sport.

Despite not winning a playoff game in nine years, the organization has maintained an excellent reputation. Multiple national reports indicate that coaches are already lining up to throw their hat in the ring for the job.

This in no way prevents Miami from getting a good coaching candidate. And there’s no reason to go overboard with saying the Dolphins aren’t a desirable head coaching spot. Less desirable than Pittsburgh? Probably, but pretty much every team falls into that category.

What could happen is that Pittsburgh’s opening creates a logjam in the process. Some candidates might want to see if they have a shot at that job before moving too far on another.

The Dolphins have only recently started their process, having sent out requests for eight candidates and already interviewed two. Given that, this might not throw off their search as much as, say, the Titans, who fired their head coach midseason and have requested almost 20 different candidates.

This is all speculation, of course. Perhaps Pittsburgh already has a candidate in mind and will move quickly. Maybe one candidate the Dolphins zero in on won’t be considered for the Steelers job.

There’s no reason to panic about the Dolphins losing out on some perfect candidate, but the Steelers’ job coming open definitely adds another layer to an already complex search.

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