The inevitable happened Monday The Pittsburgh Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin agreed on a contract extension that keeps Tomlin in Pittsburgh through the end of the 2027 season. It continues the trend of stability that has set the Steelers apart from every other organization in the entire landscape of professional sports, not just the NFL.
It’s a move that was expected. Team president Art Rooney II said that was the plan after the 2023 season ended. It finally came to fruition after the Steelers wrapped up OTAs and are preparing for mandatory minicamp. It’s simply the way that the Rooney family has operated for the last 55 years.
“It’s a massive piece of the Rooney puzzle,” Pat McAfee said on Tuesday’s episode of the Pat McAfee Show. “When you find the right one, let’s go ahead and hang on as long as we can. Tomlin is the perfect depiction of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s in the community, he’s beloved. He’s going to have to win a playoff game very soon, but this year could be the year.”
BREAKING NEWS: Mike Tomlin has signed a three year extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/9ERJa7i4D0
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 10, 2024
That last part that McAfee mentioned is the main sticking point for people with Tomlin. The Steelers have lost their last five playoff games and have an 8-10 playoff record overall under Tomlin. For a team and a coach that preaches about the Standard, the lack of playoff success is galling.
Yet the Steelers still feel like Tomlin can change that. He does have one Super Bowl win under his belt as head coach (and a second one as defensive backs coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and coached the Steelers to a second Super Bowl appearance.
It will be the playoff success (or lack thereof) that will determine how fans look back on this extension. What there is no doubt about is that the Steelers organization loves Mike Tomlin and he loves coaching the Pittsburgh Steelers.
