Major Detail Emerges in Mike Tomlin’s Steelers Contract

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 6-6 in a middling season, and while they have decided not to fire long-tenured head coach Mike Tomlin, they are barreling toward a big decision on his future with the team.

According to NFL Insider Adam Schefter on Twitter (now X), the Steelers will need to decide whether they want to keep Tomlin at the helm through 2027 on March 1, 2026.

"After this season, Tomlin's contract will have two years remaining on it -- 2026 and a team option in 2027," Schefter wrote. "But according to league sources, the Steelers must decide whether to pick up the option on Tomlin's contract by March 1."

Oct 26, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin reacts during the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Per Schefter, the organization hasn't fired a head coach since 1941, and Tomlin has been leading the team since 2007. That said, this could present an opportunity to let the skipper go quietly, as a disappointed Steelers nation is up against yet another middling season, too far-removed from former greatness.

"But the option in Tomlin's contract is the real touchstone," Schefter wrote. "If the Steelers decline to pick up Tomlin's option, they would be allowing their head coach to enter the final year of his contract next season, which teams typically prefer not to do."

"And if neither side has any commitment to the other beyond 2026, it would bring into a play a whole host of options."

Will Tomlin Stay at the Helm?

Tomlin has never posted a losing season, and holds a 197–124–2 career head coaching record. Tomlin also has a no-trade clause in his contract, barring the Steelers from making any moves without his consent.

Fans had hostile reactions to Tomlin in the comments on Schefter's announcement. Some were hopeful that he would be traded to another team (specifically sharing AI edits of Tomlin coaching the New York Giants or the Atlanta Falcons), which is very unlikely, and others skeptical that the Steelers will move on from Tomlin even in March.

"The Steelers should let Tomlin walk after this season," One fan wrote. "A 6 and 6 record halfway through is just not good enough for a team that used to own the AFC. Time to bring in fresh ideas before they fall even further behind."

After the team's brutal 26-7 Week 13 loss to Josh Allen's Buffalo Bills, fans are understandably disillusioned with Tomlin's leadership. Now preparing to face the equally 6-6 Baltimore Ravens for Week 14, Tomlin has a shot at mild redemption, but the city may have soured on him amid a decade of lukewarm football success.

Tomlin's future in Pittsburgh may depend entirely on his performance for the rest of this season, which he will all-but-certainly play out as their head coach. Come spring, the Steelers will decide whether it's finally time to shake things up.

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