Steelers Get Mike Tomlin Trade Price Fans Will Love

If Mike Tomlin decides to take another crack at being a head coach in the NFL, the Pittsburgh Steelers could land a major haul.

Though Tomlin stepped down following the 2025 campaign, the Steelers retained his rights because his three-year contract extension that he signed in June 2024 and runs through the 2026 season with a team option for 2027 has essentially frozen. As a result, any team interested in hiring him down the line would potentially have to send significant compensation Pittsburgh's way in order to complete the deal.

On the latest episode of Cam Heyward's "Not Just Football" podcast, Jon Gruden shared his belief that Tomlin, who was on the former's Super Bowl XXXVII-winning staff with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the team's defensive backs coach, is worth more than just a first-round pick because of everything he brings to the table.

“So, if you get a guy like Mike Tomlin, he’s going to hire a good group of coaches, and he’s going to develop players; that’s worth a lot more than a first-round pick, if you ask me," Gruden said.

Jan 4, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during the first half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Why a Tomlin Trade Could Transform Steelers' Future

Sean Payton has often been touted as an apt comparison for Tomlin in this case, as the long-time New Orleans Saints head coach retired following the 2021 campaign and joined FOX as an analyst in 2022.

Ahead of the 2023 season, Payton decided to return to the coaching ranks and was hired by the Denver Broncos, who sent a 2023 first-rounder and 2024 second-rounder to New Orleans while also getting a 2024 third-rounder back.

Tomlin, who joined NBC this offseason and will serve as a member of the network's "Football Night in America" crew, would immediately become one of the more highly sought-after head coaching candidates in quite some time should he look to rejoin the fray after this upcoming season.

If Gruden is correct in his evaluation of Tomlin's value and Pittsburgh is capable of landing a package on par with what the Saints received for Payton, if not greater, it would make all the difference in the world in its search for a franchise quarterback.

With the 2027 draft class looking rather loaded at the position, which is of course subject to change once the college football season commences, the Steelers may have a legitimate shot of finding their long-term solution next spring.

Should a trade-up materialize as Pittsburgh's best option, having an extra first-rounder (or two) from a possible Tomlin trade would make stomaching the price tag to jump towards the top of the board easier in tandem with making such a move more realistic in theory.

We're a long way away from such a scenario playing out if it does at all, but it's an exciting proposition for the Steelers.

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