Steelers Legend Sees How Mike Tomlin Could Return to NFL

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have now made the move to Mike McCarthy as their head coach of the future, signaling a new era.

With that in mind, Mike Tomlin stepped down and marked a large transitional period for the team, and will now be without a job for the coming season on his own accord.

As the year moves on, Tomlin's name will likely continue to get mentioned in different coaching searches as it goes on. Former Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger took time to issue his opinions on the matter, claiming that a possible return to the Steelers could be in the works at some point in Tomlin's future.

During an appearance on Fox Sports' First Things First, Roethlisberger spoke about his inclination that Tomlin could eventually seek an NFL return. In his eyes, Tomlin will only be considering a return to the league if it's with the Steelers.

"I could see him coming back if the team was ready to go," Roethlisberger said. "Just need that one more step to get to a Super Bowl or something like that. When you've had 18 or 19 winning seasons in a row, where is there to go? I don't think he'll come back to a rebuild or a new team."

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. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The Steelers have just moved on from their franchise-defining coach, and Roethlisberger is already thinking about his next landing spot. Roethlisberger played the vast majority of his NFL career under Tomlin, but won one of the two Super Bowl victories in his career under previous head coach Bill Cowher.

Tomlin's Possibilities in the Future

The possibility with the highest chance of occurrence is that he retires and moves on from the sport, with a long and successful career behind him and plenty of money as well. Following that, a return to the NFL is the second most likely, but with the year off its possible that a return would be in an assistant role as opposed to a head coaching position.

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. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The most likely option following that would be some sort of television or media role, and he has already been linked to such positions in the past, even as he was still employed by the Steelers.

Tomlin seems like he would be well-equipped for the football media, as his "tomlinisms" have permeated pop culture outside football, and he seems to know the right time and place to say different things.

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