Any NFL teams hoping that Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin would become available to coach their franchise next season are out of luck. The Steelers announced Monday that they have signed Tomlin to a three-year contract extension that will keep him in the Steel City through the 2027 season.
“Mike Tomlin’s leadership and dedication to the Steelers have been critical to our success during his first 17 years as head coach,” Steelers President Art Rooney II said in a statement on the team website. “Extending his contract for another three years reflects our confidence in his ability to lead the team back to winning playoff games and championships as we continue our tradition of success.”
Tomlin, 52, was hired by the Steelers in 2007 and has remained their head coach ever since. With Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots parting ways in early 2024, Tomlin is now the NFL’s longest-tenured head coach. If he makes it to the end of his new contract extension, he will have coached the Steelers for 21 years.
The use of “if” is necessary when it comes to NFL teams and coaches sticking together, but the Steelers are not like other teams. They have had exactly three head coaches since 1969: Hall of Famers Chuck Noll (1969-91) and Bill Cowher (1992-2006), and Tomlin (2007-present). It was big news last season when Tomlin fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada midseason, as the Steelers had not made an in-season coaching change since 1941 – more than 80 years ago.
The Steelers like to make a decision and stick to it, but that’s not why they’ve stuck with Tomlin for over seventeen years. They stayed with him because he is very good at his job. In seventeen years, he has had zero seasons below .500. He has won at least eight or nine games in every season he has coached — and that includes the last two seasons after Ben Roethlisberger, which were among Tomlin’s toughest assignments. He has a 275-173 record, good for a .633 winning percentage, and has taken the Steelers to the playoffs 11 times.
Tomlin had been in no mood to discuss his contract earlier this year. After the Steelers’ playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills in January, Tomlin memorably walked offstage when a reporter asked him about his future with the team. Now that his contract is up, Tomlin has more to say.
“I am grateful for this contract extension and grateful to Art Rooney II for his support during my first 17 years in Pittsburgh,” Tomlin said via the team website. “We continue to work hard to get back to where we belong: continued playoff success with the ultimate goal of winning the franchise’s seventh Lombardi Trophy.
“I am very excited to get the 2024 season underway and deliver an unforgettable year for our fans.”
