In western Pennsylvania, the most of the conversation over holiday dinners could revolve over quarterback in Week 17. However, Mike Tomlin’s future as head coach might not be far behind.
That might be particularly the case in light of Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk’s Tomlin report.
On December 23, Florio revealed that the Steelers plan to name Tomlin as their head coach for the 2024 campaign. The Steelers intend to extend Florio’s contract, he further stated.
“As explained during the Bengals-Steelers pregame show on NBC, the Steelers have no desire to make a change,” “And they have no reason to think Tomlin wants to leave the place where he has worked since 2007.
involved in the 2024 and 2025 roster planning process. He’s not expressing any signs of unhappiness, dissatisfaction, or readiness for a change.
It should be emphasized once more that Florio’s information was received prior to the Steelers’ December 23 34-11 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Before Week 16, there was a lot of talk about dismissing Tomlin because the team was having its worst offensive season in decades and had gone on a terrible losing streak to start December.
However, the Steelers will be forced to extend Tomlin’s contract if they don’t let him go before 2024.
The Steelers should be in the market for a new offensive coordinator this offseason. They will have no hope of hiring one of the best candidates if Tomlin enters 2024 as a lame duck.
With that in mind, the Steelers really have two choices — move on from Tomlin this offseason or commit to him for the foreseeable future with an extension.
Divergent Reports Regarding Tomlin’s Prospects in Pittsburgh
Florio is among the NFL’s best insiders. His report regarding Tomlin’s future should therefore have a good deal of merit.
However, Florio stated that “it feels like this thing is careening toward Tomlin being gone” on December 20 in an interview with 93.7 The Fan.
It seemed more like Florio’s opinion than a report when he made that assertion. So maybe what he said on the radio shouldn’t matter as much as his reporting on December 23.
Or perhaps the Steelers haven’t made a decision regarding the head coach’s future, which would be a straightforward explanation for Florio’s conflicting messages about Tomlin. On December 23, Dianna Russini of The Athletic seems to have reached that conclusion.
According to Russini, “there has been talk that the Steelers might consider trading Tomlin to Washington, Chicago, or even Carolina to get back some picks.” “It’s a move the Jets should think about if they’re not happy with their current staff, but I also know the Steelers recognize Tomlin’s importance to their city.”
You may be thinking, “You told us two weeks ago that it’s not the Steelers’ way to move on!’ if you follow along every week. They use caution and patience! I’ll keep telling you that, according to the talks I’ve had, there’s a high chance Tomlin will still be the head coach of the Steelers in 2024.
The stronger the Steelers finish the 2023 season, the less likely it is that the team will make a change at head coach. The Steelers currently sit with an 8-7 record but outside the AFC playoffs.
Tomlin has coached the Steelers for 171 games, going 171-100-2. He is the NFL’s second-longest tenured head coach. To extend his record-setting streak of winning seasons, he needs one more victory this season.
