The Pittsburgh Steelers are going through some major changes as an organization right now. Former head coach Mike Tomlin informed the team that he would be stepping down from his role as the head coach of the team after his group was embarrassed in the postseason for the third season in a row. It was time for the two sides to go their own way, and now the Steelers are moving on with Mike McCarthy as the head coach of the team. He is facing a ton of pressure in his first season as the head coach as the organization has not had a losing season since 2003.
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin celebrates after defeating the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium.
The Steelers are going to look a little weird without Tomlin on the sideline leading the team, but it was a necessary change that was long overdue. McCarthy now takes the helm while Tomlin is transitioning to a life on television. Shortly after announcing that he would be stepping down, he signed on with NBC and he will be a fixture on Football Night in America and Sunday Night Football. He seems to be enjoying it so far, and he will be covering his first regular season game on Sunday night as the New York Giants will take on the Dallas Cowboys.
With Tomlin's regular season debut coming up, he has been doing a bit of a media circuit. He has joined some of the larger programs throughout the last week to talk football, and he joined The PFF NFL Podcast on Tuesday. He was asked if he would ever return to coaching, and he didn't say no.
"It's certainly not a 32-team league for me," Tomlin said. "I've lived too much for that, but I've also learned to never say never. Will I coach again? I don't know. I love to coach, I love all the challenges of the profession, I love to develop a collective. But also, I've enjoyed the last six months. This life on the other side, I had no idea about. So, we'll see man."
Tomlin left the chance to return to coaching open as he didn't deny that he was interested in doing it in the future, but it also sounds like the opportunity would have to be right. He noted that the NFL is not 32 teams for him, which means there are a select few teams that he would probably come out and coach, or it means that he would only return to the sideline if there were certain pieces in place for a certain franchise.
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Tomlin has been very open about enjoying the time he now has to himself. He is going to get busier as the season gets underway, but he has been able to enjoy quality time with his family that he did not have before. He went to a family reunion for the first time in nearly 30 years, so he is catching up on a lot of lost time as of right now. Coaching is something he loves to do, but it also eats into a schedule. It is hard to live a balanced life as a head coach in the NFL.
Steelers Could See Mike Tomlin Back On The Sidelines
Teams are going to be trying to bring Tomlin back to coaching every time a head coach gets fired. Every time there is a vacancy his name is going to be brought into the conversation, and it is going to be up to him to decide if returning to the NFL is something he truly wants to entertain. After this season, he might decide that he misses it so much he has to come back, or he might decide that he is still enjoying all of his deserved free time. Bill Cowher arguably retired early and was mentioned just about every offseason after, and the same will likely happen with Tomlin.
What do you think about Tomlin's comments on returning to coaching in the NFL? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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