Mike Tomlin Out as Steelers Head Coach; How That Could Affect Giants’ Search

Should the Giants, who are knee-deep in their coaching search, add Tomlin to the list? It's not that easy.

Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin before an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium. | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The NFL head coaching carousel just had another massive shakeup, and this one is a whopper.

A day after the Pittsburgh Steelers lost the AFC Wild Card game to the Houston Texans, longtime head coach Mike Tomlin, who had been just the fourth head coach in Steelers history, informed the team that he is stepping down from his role.

Breaking: After a historic 19-season run in Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlin just informed his team that he is stepping down as the Steelers head coach, sources tell @JFowlerESPN and me.

The Steelers now will be looking for only their fourth head coach since 1969. pic.twitter.com/KvkPv3lA1W

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 13, 2026

It’s unknown if Tomlin has his next move planned as far as continuing to coach or to pursue a season or two in television.

If Tomlin desires to continue his coaching career, he now rockets to the top of most teams' wish lists for a new head coach. 

Tomlin has never had a losing season in his 19-year head coaching career and is also a Super Bowl winner, having won the championship in 2008. 

But despite getting the Steelers to the postseason in 13 of his 19 seasons as head coach and winning eight division titles, the Steelers have struggled to get over the hump in their last six postseason appearances, their last playoff win coming in 2017.

Should Tomlin Be an Option for the Giants?

At the start of the head coaching hiring cycle, there was some speculation as to whether Tomlin would be a candidate for the New York Giants' vacancy. 

However, when the Steelers made it to the postseason, that speculation was tabled, with the Giants and the rest of the league focusing on the available candidates, of which John Harbaugh, formerly with Baltimore, was regarded by most as the cream of the crop.

Now that Tomlin is potentially available to hire–and again, it’s unknown if he wants to be with a new team or take a break to pursue a media career in television, which, per Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, Tomlin would likely be in high demand by every major network, with FOX being the favorite to land his services.

Despite the Giants’ relentless pursuit of John Harbaugh for their head coaching vacancy, New York has shown it's not afraid to explore every potential candidate that makes sense.

Certainly, given Tomlin’s coaching pedigree, he makes a world of sense for an organization that has lost its way ever since Tom Coughlin stepped down.

The Giants, from all indications, are still several days away from deciding whom they want to offer their head coaching job to, as Harbaugh has yet to interview, and several candidates on their list have only had virtual interviews due to league rules. 

That said, because Tomlin was not fired by the Steelers, they still retain his rights through 2027.

And unless the Giants are willing to give up assets to get him (which they are probably not), a Tomlin-Giants union is nothing more than a dream at best.

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