Steelers insider addresses persistent Mike Tomlin hot-seat chatter

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin signed a three-year contract extension last offseason that reportedly pays him roughly $16M per year. 

Nevertheless, questions about whether or not Pittsburgh could part ways with Tomlin if he fails to guide the 2025 Steelers to at least one playoff win continue to hover over the organization as players prepare to report to training camp on Wednesday. 

During a recent appearance on Pittsburgh area radio station WMBS590, Steelers reporter Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was asked if he believes there's any chance the club could fire Tomlin in January 2026. 

"I don't think so," Fittipaldo said, as shared by Joe Cammarota of Steelers Depot. "He's in the first year of that three-year contract extension. ...Even after this season is over, they'll still owe him upwards of...like $28M. So they're not gonna walk away from that kind of commitment and have to pay somebody not to work."

Pockets of NFL analysts often mention that multiple teams would happily hire Tomlin during any offseason, in part because he's a one-time Super Bowl head coach who has never had a losing season since he accepted the Steelers job in 2007. 

That said, individuals within the franchise are reportedly "out of patience" because Pittsburgh went 0-5 in postseason games from January 2018 through this past winter. Fair or not, some members of the NFL community have wondered throughout this year if Tomlin's message has gotten stale inside the Steelers locker room. 

Pittsburgh unquestionably is a win-now team after the club acquired wide receiver DK Metcalf, cornerback Jalen Ramsey, tight end Jonnu Smith and 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers before it paid pass-rusher T.J. Watt ahead of training camp. According to Fittipaldo, those running the Steelers seem confident Tomlin can and will take the club where it wants to go. 

"I think within that building and certainly within the ownership group, Mike Tomlin, he's their guy," Fittipaldo added during the segment. "And until Mike Tomlin says he doesn't wanna work anymore, I think Mike Tomlin is gonna finish out that contract."

As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Steelers at +125 betting odds to make the playoffs this season. While things often change quickly in the NFL, it sounds like Tomlin isn't facing a postseason-or-bust mandate this summer.