The Pittsburgh Steelers are doing some due diligence in case head coach Mike Tomlin decides to step down after the 2025 season, according to multiple national reports.
Two potential candidates for the Steelers have been identified, with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated and Diana Russini of The Athletic both reporting this week that the Steelers have been connected to both Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula. You can safely bet that if two such names were explored, there were more on that list.
What does that mean for a team that almost never makes changes at the head coaching position? Let's break it down.
Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II before a game against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 15, 2025. — Alan Saunders / Steelers Now
I suppose there's a chance in Art Rooney II's mind that Sunday's game is make-or-break for Tomlin — or that he's already worn out his welcome, but I doubt it. If that's the case, he hasn't shared though thoughts with many in the organization. It remains highly unlikely that the Steelers will decide to move on from Tomlin this offseason.
It's just now how Rooney or the Steelers have ever done business, and with the team 9-7, there's no reason to think those things will change right now.
While the fans' frustration with the status quo is palpable, the Steelers are just not going to fire a coach after a winning season that includes exceeding its Las Vegas win total for the sixth straight season, and remaining in the division race with the Baltimore Ravens — inarguably in a better big-picture position to contend — to the final week of the season.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin before a game against the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 28, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
It has seemed likely for a long time that if Mike Tomlin and the Steelers eventually part ways, that it will probably be because Tomlin is the one making that decision. But he's never given the idea a whole lot of thought before.
Why would this year be different?
The above-mentioned anger of the fanbase could be on. Tomlin is a master at shutting out the outside noise surrounding his team, but it's hard to argue when in it comes in the form of tens of thousands chanting for him to be fired in his home stadium.
If Sunday Night's game ends that way — it might be something that Tomlin decides he doesn't want to experience again.
There are other factors, as well. Tomlin's children are grown now, with his daughter a sophomore at Georgia. There's not as much tying him to Pittsburgh as there once was.
The Steelers' high-profile additions this offseason that were mostly driven by Tomlin — Aaron Rodgers , Jalen Ramsey , Darius Slay , Jonnu Smith — have not necessarily played out the way the team hoped. Tomlin could look at those failures, even though the team has still played up to expectations, as a sign that he's lost his fastball.
Regardless of the reason, the Steelers at least exploring what other options exist should be treated as a sign that the team is not certain that Tomlin will decide he wants to return — and as far as we know, that's a first.
Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan and president Art Rooney II during training camp on July 26, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
The Steelers announced the contract that Tomlin signed before the 2024 and went into effect in 2025 as a three-year deal, but in reality, it was a two-year contract with a one year option.
That means Rooney must decide this offseason, specifically by March , as to whether or not pick up that option.
Normally, that would be seen as a no-brainer, and maybe it still would be, but there could be some conflicting thoughts about whether to commit more to Tomlin at this point.
I think this has probably been a bit of an over-blown talking point — if Rooney wants Tomlin for 2026, why wouldn't he want him for 2027 — but we should at least acknowledge that the decision point creates a potential source of contention.
At the end of the day, everyone should expect that this ends the usual way — with Tomlin returning to coach the Steelers in 2026 and beyond. But the Steelers are at least considering other options should be taken as a sign that there's at least some uncertainty in the process, and there might be a better chance of Tomlin moving on than there has in the past.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Saunders: What Does Steelers Exploring Other Coaching Options Mean for Mike Tomlin's Future?
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