Mike Tomlin is now the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL and the second-longest tenured in the four major American sports, behind only Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs. But speculation about his future with the Steelers has run rampant. To some saying he should be fired to others, speculation he could step down has all come around, but it seems unlikely that anything will happen.
Just ask former Jaguars and current Steelers linebacker Myles Jack. Jack has seen what it looks like when someone is on their way out, and the seat is hot, and to him, there is nothing about this situation that feels like significant change is coming.
“I’ve been on teams where it’s a real hot seat, and it is pretty much known that that person that’s there today ain’t going to be there next season … In my opinion, I would think [Tomlin’s current seat] was freezing, as cold as outside,” Jack told ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.
That would track. The idea that he could leave alone is viable, but a contract extension should be expected with just one year left on his own deal.
In July, team president Art Rooney II said to not worry about a new extension, and that it would simply come with time.
“We’ve done the contract at different points and people seem to read more into that than is warranted,” Rooney said to Steelers Nation Radio in July. “The contract will get done when it needs to get done. As Omar said, I expect Mike to be here a lot longer than the existing contract. We’ll get it done when the time comes.”
Mike Tomlin did acknowledge that entering his 17th season as the team’s head coach, he has more years behind him than ahead of him, but at just 51 years old, he still has plenty of energy to continue coaching for quite some time.
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