Steelers fans can erase one name from their Mike Tomlin replacement wish list following major announcement from top candidate
One of the hottest names in the market is staying put.
Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers are one loss away from potentially changing the future of the franchise. The final game of the regular season will determine who wins the AFC North, and potentially, the future of John Harbaugh in Baltimore and Tomlin in Pittsburgh.
Tomlin has been the face of scrutiny for a while now, with things reaching a fever pitch after fans chanted “fire Tomlin” during a home game against the Bills, and Ben Roethlisberger even suggested that Tomlin should consider the Penn State job. That led many to create a hot board of potential names to replace the tenured head coach. Well, one of the top names can be scratched off that list.
Marcus Freeman staying at Notre Dame
Marcus Freeman has taken a program that many thought was behind the times and turned it back into a powerhouse reminiscent of Notre Dame’s blue-blood nature. The Fighting Irish narrowly missed the College Football Playoff this year but were national championship runners-up in 2024. For more context on the decision, I spoke with A to Z Sports Notre Dame writer Ryan Roberts:
“There has been a lot of smoke surrounding Marcus Freeman’s future with Notre Dame, and the fact that the 2025 season ended so abruptly made the outside noise even louder. Freeman’s name was mentioned with pretty much every big job available, both on the college and NFL level, and I do have questions for just how long he is going to stick in South Bend.”
“It was never, however, going to be this offseason. 2026 is viewed as an all-in year for Notre Dame, having legitimate national title aspirations. After signing arguably the top recruiting class in 2026, Freeman is an individual who will see the job through. Next offseason is when stuff can get real.” – Roberts
Would Mike Tomlin actually leave the Steelers?
In an appearance on the Pat McAfee show this week, ESPN insider Adam Schefter said it’s not out of the realm of possibilities that Tomlin coaches his final game with the Steelers on Sunday night. Now, that doesn’t mean the Steelers would fire Tomlin.
What it suggests to me is that, should the Steelers lose to the Ravens and miss the playoffs after getting so out of character this past offseason, it could be time for a mutual parting of ways in Pittsburgh.
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