The longest active coach-team partnership in the NFL has come to an end.
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is stepping down after a two-decades long partnership that netted the franchise two Super Bowl appearances and one championship.
Tomlin never finished with a losing record in his 19 seasons with the Steelers. His 193 regular season wins are tied for ninth all-time in NFL history with fellow Steelers head coach Chuck Noll. His final game with the Steelers came in the most lopsided game of the wild-card playoffs, a 30-6 drubbing to the Houston Texans.
Tomlin, 53, was one of the youngest coaches in league history when he joined the Steelers back in 2007. It’s reasonable to believe this is not the end for his coaching career in the NFL.
This grows the number of teams looking for a head coach to nine: Atlanta, Arizona, Baltimore, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Miami, Pittsburgh, Tennessee and the New York Giants. A quarter of the league is looking for a new leader next season.
If Tomlin decides to stay in coaching next season, another team will need to compensate the Steelers because he stepped down and was not fired. It’s a similar situation to what happened with Sean Payton and the New Orleans Saints.
Here are four places he could land:
Mike Tomlin landing spots
New York Giants
This job is attractive because it looks like the Giants should have the most important position covered: quarterback. Pittsburgh struggled to find a long-term answer at the position after Ben Roethlisberger retired and that hamstrung them in a competitive AFC. In New York, Tomlin could bring stability and experience to a team with young stars at key positions.
Tennessee Titans
Like New York, Tennessee has a young quarterback who looks to have the tools to succeed in the NFL in Cam Ward. They also have some pieces on the offensive line and Jeffery Simmons to potentially turn things around sooner than later. This is a franchise that’s performed best with a stability at the top with a defensive-minded head coach (e.g. Mike Vrabel). Tomlin would fit that mold.
Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta’s quarterback situation is unsettled but the rest of the roster has plenty of promising young talent. This defense turned things around in 2025 and, in the NFC South, Atlanta isn’t far from contending for the playoffs. Tomlin could view this his best way to playoff relevancy on a regular basis compared to the other openings.
Miami Dolphins
Miami has a lot of questions on its roster and Tomlin would present a stark contrast to Mike McDaniel, who the team just parted with. The Dolphins need help at multiple key positions but Tomlin would bring experience to the table unlike the team’s previous hires.
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