Mike Tomlin signed a three-year contract extension to remain as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday, a deal that will take him through the 2027 season. While it’s no surprise that Tomlin got an extension — it was widely expected to come at some point this offseason — ESPN’s Brooke Pryor said that the length of the extension came as a surprise, and that there was some thought it would be a shorter extension.
“It’s surprising and it’s not surprising all at once. I think it’s not surprising at all that Mike Tomlin has a contract extension. It is a little surprising though that it was another three-year deal,” Pryor said on The GoJo and Golic Show. “I think there was a thought that maybe this was a shorter-term extension that the two sides would work out, something that benefits both. Mike Tomlin could potentially hit free agency earlier as a coach, something that he’s never done, and the Steelers have a little bit more control while this organization is kind of at a crossroads.”
With Tomlin reportedly considering other options at the end of last season and into the offseason, it could have appealed to him to sign a shorter contract if he was truly interested in doing something else. But Mike Florio said that Tomlin is excited about the team’s offseason moves, with the Steelers adding Justin Fields and Russell Wilson at quarterback and bringing in Arthur Smith to be the new offensive coordinator. That likely influenced his decision to sign a longer-term contract.
From the Steelers’ end, it’s clear that they still believe in Tomlin as their head coach and believe that he can help them win a Super Bowl. While the team hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016, and owner Art Rooney II admitted that the organization is getting “impatient,” it didn’t translate into the Steelers giving Tomlin shorter terms on an extension. While it may have been surprising that both sides were open to a longer partnership, it shows just how much Tomlin wanted to be with the Steelers and how much the Steelers value Tomlin as their head coach.
Now, the focus will get back to the on-field product, and the rumors about Tomlin’s future can shut down, at least for a few more seasons. But the calls for his job from the fan base are going to continue to grow if playoff success doesn’t come, and Tomlin knows that it’s something he has to change. We’ll see if he can make it happen with a revamped roster.
