Mystery Behind Steelers’ Contract With Mike Tomlin Directly Affects When And If Pittsburgh Can Trade Him

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2025 NFL postseason. That contest seems as if it occurred years ago because of the plethora of news that followed not too long after. Mike Tomlin shocked the professional sports world when he made the decision to move on after 19 seasons with the franchise. Now, the organization is entrenched in a legitimate league-wide coaching search that has sparked speculation nearly every hour. There have also been rumors flying about how and when the future Hall of Fame head coach can be traded.

Tomlin stepped down despite having at least one more year remaining on his contract. It was reported not too long ago that the team also would have a decision to make on an option for the 2027 campaign. At any point, if the Steelers would like to trade the veteran coach, the intricacies of his contract will have to be understood. Unfortunately, the details of the specifics have been all over the place.

Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote recently that Tomlin stepping down voided the 2027 option that Pittsburgh was going to have to decide on. He did, however, leave it up to interpretation at the very end.

"Tomlin had two years remaining on a three-year, $50 million contract extension he signed in June 2024," Dulac wrote. "But the final year in his contract was a team option and voided when he stepped down after 19 years as Steelers coach. That means the team retains his rights for only one more season. After the 2026 season, Tomlin becomes a free agent and can sign with any team if he chooses to return to coaching. The Steelers would get nothing in return, or so it would appear."

Another reporter who works with Dulac, Ray Fittipaldo, noted on Monday that it was too soon to tell how long the Steelers will potentially be able to trade Tomlin, making it even more confusing. The scribe answered a fan who was curious about the details in Tomlin's contract.

"That's unclear right now because all coaching contracts have different language in them," Fittipaldo noted. "Without knowing the fine print in the contract, I cannot answer your question."

There is a lot of vagueness surrounding the fine print in Tomlin's deal with Pittsburgh. It is impossible to know if an expiration for trading him exists or not. It seems to be pure speculation at this point.

To add to the intrigue, national insider Mike Florio, who has a background in law and often dives deep into the contractual components of the NFL, made it seem as if the Steelers and Tomlin may have a private deal in place that gives Pittsburgh Tomlin's rights whenever he decides to return.

"The situation also may be complicated by the specific terms of Tomlin’s contract," Florio wrote. "The rules expressly acknowledge that the team and the coach may negotiate any terms they want regarding the coach’s and the team’s rights in the event of a resignation or retirement."

There are a lot of moving pieces to this puzzle. Overall, fans probably won't have an update anytime soon, unless there is some kind of unexpected trade that ends up happening. For now, however, the Steelers are focused on hiring a new head coach and Tomlin is enjoying some time away... for now.

Steelers Could Receive A Plethora Of Draft Capital For Tomlin

The best case scenario for Pittsburgh is Tomlin having a change of heart sooner rather than later. If he decides to return to coaching as soon as possible, the organization would likely land multiple draft picks. If he does stay aside in 2026, fans will be hopeful that the confusion surrounding his contract will be resolved, and that he is still under team control in 2027. Right now, it's anyone's guess as to what the true language of the deal is.

Do you think the Steelers and Tomlin have a private deal in place that is not known by the public? Let us know in the comments below!

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