Despite leading the Pittsburgh Steelers to a Super Bowl victory in 2008 and never having a losing record in his 17 seasons as the team’s head coach, fans of the franchise have been calling for Tomlin to be relieved of his duties. With 2023 quickly coming to an end and Tomlin having just one year remaining on his contract, Steelers fans may be getting what they want.
Tomlin trails only New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick as the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL. Tomlin currently ranks third amongst active head coaches in wins (170), trailing only Belichick and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.
Still, fans are ready to move on from this state of purgatory Tomlin has the franchise in yearly, where the team is good enough to be a competitive regular-season team but not competitive enough to make noise in the NFL playoffs.
If Tomlin and the Steelers decide to part ways, it’d more than likely be because Tomlin wants it, not because the Steelers would fire him. In a storied NFL franchise like the Steelers, Tomlin has established himself as one of the greatest coaches in their history.
With several teams potentially expected to be on the hunt for a new head coach this season such as the Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, and possibly more teams, Tomlin would have no shortage of suitors if he were to become available.
Being that he has one more year in his contract, a team would need to facilitate a trade to acquire his services. The question then becomes: “What would the Steelers’ asking price be?”
If this ends up being Tomlin’s last season in Pittsburgh, his legacy will last a lifetime.
