Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin explains viral news conference moment

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated Jan 18, 2024 2:51 PM ET

Three days after an abrupt and premature exit from a postgame news conference following his team's playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin explained his actions on Thursday.

Tomlin: "I could've handled that situation better than I did. I believe there's a time and place for everything and postgame press conferences aren't the time and place to address contract issues."
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) January 18, 2024

Following Monday's defeat, ESPN's Brooke Pryor started to ask Tomlin about his contract, before the 51-year-old stormed off and left the podium before the reporter could finish her question.

The wild-card round setback against the Bills was the Steelers' fifth consecutive postseason loss since their last victory in January 2017, when they beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC divisional round.

Tomlin said at the beginning of Thursday's meeting that he was in a "much better mood" and said he was willing to talk about his contract with the media members.

Mike Tomlin says his process of making decisions about his future at the conclusion of each season hasn't changed: "I'm always on go."
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) January 18, 2024

Asked if he wants to go year-to-year or wants to stay in Pittsburgh as long as they'll have him, Mike Tomlin says "I just like coming to work. My card key works. ... I don't spend a lot of time looking at the big picture."
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) January 18, 2024

Tomlin on the timing of an extension this offseason: "It'll get done when it's gets done. It's not a top priority, as far as the timing of it."
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) January 18, 2024

Leading up to Pittsburgh's game vs. Buffalo, Steelers linebacker Myles Jack expressed his confidence that Tomlin would be staying with the franchise by saying his "hot seat" as coach was as cold as the freezing temperatures outside.

With Bill Belichick's departure from the New England Patriots, Tomlin is now the longest-tenured lead man in the NFL (17 years).

The Steelers haven't made the Super Bowl in over a decade and haven't made it past the wild-card round in six seasons, but Tomlin's consistency has been impressive. With its 10-7 finish in 2023, Pittsburgh has still never had a losing season during Tomlin's run.

Victor Barbosa

Victor Barbosa is a passionate follower of MLB, the NBA and NFL, with a deep interest in Boston-area teams. He graduated from Springfield College -- The Birthplace of Basketball -- in 2013 with a degree in Communications-Sports Journalism. Previous bylines include FanSided, Heavy and Syracuse

More must-reads: