Insider: Steelers' Mike Tomlin And Art Rooney II Have Creative Option To Part Ways After 2025 Season

The fan base of the Pittsburgh Steelers is beginning to get very restless with Head Coach Mike Tomlin. Everyone throughout the NFL world is aware of the fact that he has never had a losing season, but it is becoming even more well known that the team has not been victorious in the playoffs since the 2016 campaign. Following a Week 12 loss to the Chicago Bears, the defense continues to face intense scrutiny about its payroll situation. Being the highest-paid group in the league, it's certainly not ideal to be at the bottom of several rankings, specifically when it comes to points and yards allowed.

The Steelers gave Tomlin a contract extension in the 2024 offseason, which ties him to the organization through the 2027 campaign. Head-coaching contracts are typically fully guaranteed, so Team Owner Art Rooney II would likely have to be paying Tomlin to either coach elsewhere, or sit on his couch in 2026 and 2027 if the decision was made to part ways with him after the current regular season.

It puts Pittsburgh in a tough position. No one is quite sure how many more years the team can go staring mediocrity in the face, but the end of a near-two decade relationship is on the verge of crumbling. If the Steelers miss out on the playoffs after leading the AFC North by three games, it could lead to some serious contemplation on Rooney's part.

There could be a way to lighten the blow, however. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette insider Ray Fittipaldo hosted a fan chat on Tuesday, and was asked if a breakup could be no the horizon. There could be a way, per the reporter, that the two sides work something out.

"I don't see the Steelers eating the final two years of that contract," Fittipaldo wrote. "Maybe there's a common ground where they mutually agree to part ways. Tomlin gets another job and they're not on the hook for the entirety of that contract."

Essentially, it seems as if Tomlin will want to have to move on just as much as the team wants to move on from him. If the feeling is mutual, there are creative ways to smooth things over. Otherwise, it's extremely unlikely for Rooney to agree to simply fire Tomlin, and pay him to not be in the building. The previous offseason extension should currently be looked at in a negative way, because the organization is a bit tied down at the present moment.

It's hard to keep Tomlin around if Rooney wants him to gone, and the fan base may force the owner's hands if the month of December goes awry. If Tomlin is unwilling to agree to some sort of pay cut or mutual parting of ways, it could get even more complicated. Pittsburgh hopes to not have this issue, as the AFC North is still within reach due to a pair of contests against the Baltimore Ravens.

The external voices are getting louder in the Steel City, which will definitely trigger change in 2026; it just depends how drastic the franchise wants to get. Tomlin has had an incredible career, but it also can be true that he may have lost a little bit of his fastball. It will be fascinating to see how the 2025 campaign wraps up. Rooney may have no other choice but to do something that he never thought he would have to.

Steelers Are Starting To Lose Faith From The Fan Base

A city like Pittsburgh prides itself on winning championships. The football team in the Steel City has not come close to competing for another one of those in almost a decade. The 2025 season has proven once again that a Tomlin-led team is formidable, but inconsistent. There are some major decisions that are going to need to be made in the coming months if things continue to spiral.

Do you think the Steelers will try to part ways with Tomlin in 2026? Let us know in the comments below!

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