Just like that, the biggest potential storyline of the offseason can be put to rest for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Mike Tomlin will be coaching the team in 2024.
According to NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo, Tomlin told players Tuesday in an end-of-season meeting that the speculation regarding his future is “unfounded” and that he’ll be coaching the team in 2024.
Tom Pelissero added on NFL Total Access that he talked to someone who was in the meeting and they got the impression that Tomlin is “all in” for the 2024 season.
Tomlin has one year left on his contract, and throughout much of the season there has been plenty of speculation regarding his future with the Steelers. Questions arose regarding him potentially taking a year off with an eye toward 2025 or mutually parting ways with the Steelers and pursuing an opportunity elsewhere.
There were even reports that Tomlin and the Steelers could work on a trade to place him somewhere else after 17 seasons with the Steelers. Based on the report from Garafolo though, none of that is happening.
Tomlin is preparing to coach the team in 2024.
Chances are, Tomlin gets an extension early on this offseason, continuing with the Steelers in his Hall of Fame career.
His tenure includes 17 straight non-losing seasons and has him within striking distance of the Steelers’ all-time wins record. Though the playoff struggles are real and frustrating, the Steelers having lost five-straight playoff games and not winning a playoff game since 2016, Tomlin did a great job getting the 2023 Steelers into the playoffs after dealing with a number of injuries defensively and going through three starting quarterbacks before finishing 10-7.
There were certainly struggles throughout the season, but in the end the Steelers won double-digit games and returned to the playoffs in the midst of a continued rebuild as they try to find the answer at quarterback.
Now, Tomlin and the Steelers will focus on hiring the right offensive coordinator this offseason and getting the offense back on track after an up-and-down season that saw Pittsburgh struggle mightily on that side of the football.
Thankfully, the endless speculation can be put to bed regarding Tomlin and his future — for now — and the focus can turn toward building the roster for the 2024 season.
