Mike Tomlin leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers? Adam Schefter talks about the coach’s future
Things have gotten very interesting for Pittsburgh Steelers fans.
After the team knocked off the Baltimore Ravens 17-10 Saturday, the Steelers (10-7) have a pathway into the playoffs — really two pathways — on Sunday. Whether or not they make the postseason, though, some big-time change could be coming.
“Black Monday” looms and that is when the NFL’s offseason coaching carousel truly starts to turn. That prompted a segment on ESPN’S Sunday NFL Countdown show looking ahead to changes that could be coming, and reporter Adam Schefter brought up Tomlin.
No, Schefter didn’t say Tomlin would be out on Monday. In fact, if the Steelers make the postseason, his fate likely won’t be determined for some time. But, Schefter said it’s a situation that’s worth watching.
“He gets to dictate what he wants to do,” Schefter said. “He’s staying on, but he’s staying on if he wants to.”
And if Tomlin doesn’t want to stay on?
Schefter said that Washington, which is expected to move on from Ron Rivera as soon as Monday, would be a franchise to watch for Tomlin. He also said that Tomlin could just decide to take some time off, too.
That would be understandable because Tomlin, 51, has been coaching since he took the gig as VMI’s wide receivers coach in 1995. He took over as the Steelers head coach in 2007, and helped guide the team to a win in Super Bowl XLIII.
Tomlin has a career record of 173-100-2.
It is hard to imagine another coach standing on the sidelines in Pittsburgh, but Schefter, at least, thinks it could be a possibility.
The next few weeks will, again, certainly be interesting.
