Mike Tomlin’s decision to step down as Steelers HC comes with a twist that NFL teams searching for a coach are going to hate
If another NFL team wants Mike Tomlin as their head coach, it’s going to cost them.
Mike Tomlin made the bombshell decision to step down as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday, and while it was a shock to many, the writing was on the wall for the tenured head coach and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With the decision comes a ton of new questions, including those surrounding the two biggest positions in the sport: HC and QB. Well, Tomlin will now decide his next move. However, if that means staying and coaching in the NFL, it comes with a clause the Steelers will love, and the rest of the league will hate.
Teams would have to trade for Mike Tomlin if they want him before 2028
Tomlin’s contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers runs through the 2027 season. Because he decided to step down rather than be fired, the league and the Steelers will treat this decision as a pseudo-retirement. That means any team that wants Tomlin before his contract runs out would have to pay for him.
Not just monetarily, but with draft capital. This situation isn’t foreign to the NFL. In fact, it happened just a few years ago with the New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos. Sean Payton retired from New Orleans, did TV for a year, and decided he wanted to return to coaching. However, like Tomlin in Pittsburgh, he still had time on his deal with New Orleans, and so the Broncos had to pony up. I asked Adam Holt, who covers the Saints for A to Z Sports, to provide some analysis on that move.
“New Orleans traded longtime head coach and Super Bowl champion Sean Payton, along with a 2024 third-round pick, to the Broncos in exchange for Denver’s 2023 first-round pick (No. 29 overall) and a 2024 second-round pick. It was a deal that made total sense for both sides, as Payton was ready for a fresh beginning, a little while removed from the Drew Brees era with the Saints.
“For Denver, it acquired one of the top offensive masterminds in football. That has helped launch them into the upper echelon of the AFC in recent seasons, including a top overall seed in this year’s postseason.
“For Payton, he was the Saints HC from 2006-2021 (excluding 2012 when he was suspended). He had been through thick and thin with the franchise but wanted a transition, and New Orleans understood that. While it placed them in a tough spot and surprised some outside of the organization, the Saints knew the leverage they still possessed. They knew their asking price for Payton wouldn’t be cheap and were rewarded with impactful draft capital. It would make plenty of sense for the Steelers to act in a similar manner with Tomlin.” – Holt
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