Will Mike Tomlin Be Fired? Latest Rumors on Steelers Contract Option, Timeline

The Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly have less than three months to decide whether to commit to two more seasons with Mike Tomlin.

Tomlin is signed through at least the 2026 season, but ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday that the Steelers have a March 1 deadline to also pick up his option through 2027.

According to Schefter, the Steelers aren't expected to make their decision regarding the option until after the 2025 season.

"There will be organizational meetings and decisions that occur, but not until after this season is complete, with a full body of work for all appropriate parties to review, sources said," Schefter wrote.

After climbing out to an early AFC North lead with a 4-1 start to the season, the Steelers have fallen to 6-6 and are at risk of going a ninth straight year without a playoff win.

Tomlin, who took over in Pittsburgh in 2007 and led the Steelers to a Super Bowl win the following season, is currently in his 19th season with the team.

Discontentment with the the team, which peaked in Week 13 as the Steelers were booed off their home field following a 26-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Acrisure Stadium, reached the point that even former star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said last week it was "maybe" time for the Steelers to move on from Tomlin.

"We've had the same head coach in Coach Tomlin," Roethlisberger said on a Dec. 2 episode of his podcast Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger. "We've had different offensive coordinators, different defensive coordinators. But it's kind of the same story."

The Steelers have employed five full-time offensive coordinators and three defensive coordinators during Tomlin's tenure.

Whatever the Steelers ultimately decide to do about Tomlin's future, it doesn't sound likely the team and head coach are in for a midseason split. Schefter wrote Saturday that "nobody in the Steelers organization nor around the NFL expects Pittsburgh to fire Tomlin."

In-season coaching changes are rare in Pittsburgh. The November 2023 dismissal of former OC Matt Canada marked the first time the Steelers had made a midseason change of head coach or coordinator since 1941, per ESPN Stats & Information.

If the Steelers decide to part ways with Tomlin without firing him, the team would need to get the head coach on board with a trade. Schefter reported Saturday that Tomlin has a no-trade clause in his contract.

A pivotal moment in the 2025 season is coming up Sunday when the Steelers play the Ravens with the AFC North lead on the line. The team's playoff odds jump to 66 percent with a win and plummet to 18 percent with a loss, per NFL Next Gen Stats.

How Pittsburgh performs with a playoff berth all but on the line Sunday could play a role in what the team eventually decides to do with Tomlin's option for 2027.