ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter recently floated the idea that Mike Tomlin could take a TV job after this season. Tomlin has received significant heat this season and in recent years, as expectations have not been reached. A playoff win on Monday night for the first time since January of 2017 could change things, however.
Peter Schrager of ESPN thinks Tomlin would be excellent on TV.
"Having worked at Fox, having worked at NFL Network, and now here at ESPN, there's a chair waiting … for Mike Tomlin to make a lot of money talking football if he so wishes," Schrager said on the possibility of Tomlin taking a TV job.
During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show on Wednesday, Tomlin threw cold water on a post-coaching career job in TV.
"First of all, I'm certainly really appreciate of the work environment that I've been in for 19 years and the stability and the steadiness of our ownership. I'm just tunnel visioned. As a leader, I'm called upon to serve these guys," Tomlin said. "NFL playing careers are very short. And so I certainly can't seek comfort in the longevity of my career. I work with guys who have very short careers and I tend to try to always have an mirror that urgency. I think it's disrespectful not to have that level of urgency when I lead them, and so very rarely do I delve into big-picture perspectives or appreciate the longevity component of what I've been able to do. There's just so many things that are waiting for me, today, this week, that demand my attention.
"I'm institutionalized. I've gotta have it. I just love the challenges that week-in and week-out, that this job provides. The growth in it. The collective growth. The individual growth. A lot of lessons I've learned in life have kinda been through my football experience. I've been on a team every year of my life since 1980. And so, I really appreciate it."
Pittsburgh Steelers head caoch Mike Tomlin during a game against the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 7, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Former Steelers defensive back and Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy has deep ties to the Steelers. He played for the club in the 1970s and was on the coaching staff in the 1980s. He also was the head coach in Tampa Bay when Mike Tomlin first got his start in the NFL.
Dungy, who now works for NBC Sports, was in Pittsburgh for this past Sunday night's Steelers-Ravens game. He had a 30-minute meeting with Steelers owner Art Rooney II on Saturday prior to his one-on-one interview with Tomlin. From those conversations, he would be shocked if Tomlin is fired after this season. The only way that Tomlin won't be back in 2026 is if he decides to move on.
"I interviewed Mike Tomlin Saturday," Dungy said on The Dan Patrick Show . "I'm in Art Rooney's office, and I sit for 30 minutes with Art Rooney. And I come to the conclusion, Mike Tomlin is not in trouble. I sensed that from talking to Art [Rooney II]."
According to a report by Schefter , Tomlin's contract extension with the team, a three-year deal he signed in 2024, is actually a two-year deal with an option for the 2027 season. The Steelers will have to make a decision about whether to pick up that option this March.
"[Tomlin's] got one year left on his contract, and there's a feeling, for many that he will fulfill what he started," Schefter said on SportsCenter on Sunday. "He's the longest-tenured head coach in the National Football League — 19 years. The fans in Pittsburgh were calling for his firing about a month ago. Yet, he is on the verge of winning a division, and the feeling is that he'll be back in Pittsburgh for at least another year, though there will be conversations that occur."
Alan Saunders contributed.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Mike Tomlin Throws Cold Water on Post-Coaching Career in TV
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