Top NFL Landing Spots for Mike Tomlin After Resigning as Steelers Head Coach

It turns out that Monday's wild-card loss against the Houston Texans will usher in a new era for the Pittsburgh Steelers. On Tuesday, the team announced that head coach Mike Tomlin has decided to step down after 19 seasons.

The Steelers will now embark on their first coaching search in nearly two decades, while the 53-year-old Tomlin considers his options for a fresh start.

Though it's difficult to imagine Tomlin stepping away from football entirely, this felt like an appropriate time for a clean break from the Steelers. Pittsburgh hasn't won a playoff game since 2016, it doesn't have a long-term answer at quarterback, and Tomlin is still young enough to have another lengthy tenure elsewhere if he so chooses.

Where might Tomlin appear next? Let's examine his top options based on factors such as roster makeup, divisional competition, draft and cap assets, and recent performance.

Atlanta Falcons

AP Photo/Danny Karnik

Falcons RB Bijan Robinson

Eight franchises were already in the coaching market when Tomlin decided to step down. However, they aren't all realistic destinations for the future Hall of Famer, if he decides to pursue a job this offseason.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Tomlin is not expected to coach in 2026. His purported plans could quickly change, though, with the right offer and situation.

Tomlin wasn't fired; he resigned, which is an important distinction, as NFL insider Jordan Schultz noted on X. Tomlin's contract runs through 2026 and has a team option for 2027, which means the Steelers still control the coach's rights.

If a team wants to hire Tomlin, it must trade for him, as the Denver Broncos did for Sean Payton in 2023. That means it's highly unlikely that Tomlin lands with the rival Cleveland Browns or Baltimore Ravens, though both have openings. Pittsburgh didn't choose to get rid of Tomlin, and it probably doesn't want him going to a division rival either.

However, the Steelers might be convinced to trade Tomlin outside of the division, and the Atlanta Falcons would provide a strong landing spot for him.

The Falcons have a ton of talented skill players, and they play in what most would consider the league's most winnable division. There are questions about quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who is coming off a season-ending knee injury, but Atlanta just finished tied for the best record in the NFC South and on a four-game winning streak.

If Tomlin is looking to start stacking playoff opportunities again, Atlanta would be a logical destination.

Green Bay Packers

AP Photo/Nam Huh

Packers QB Jordan Love

The Green Bay Packers don't currently have an opening, but that doesn't mean one might not open now that Tomlin is available. Head coach Matt LaFleur is entering a contract year, and Saturday's wild-card collapse against the Chicago Bears might impact the team's desire to keep and/or extend LaFleur.

On Saturday, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported that the Packers planned to extend LaFleur after their playoff run ended. On Monday, though, Adam Schefter reported that the Packers "are expected to try to work out a deal in the coming days to keep head coach Matt LaFleur in Green Bay."

That's not the same thing as a report stating Green Bay is still sold on LaFleur long-term. While the Packers are negotiating with LaFleur, they may also try to use back channels to gauge the interest of available coaches, Tomlin included.

Green Bay would be a very attractive landing spot for Tomlin, even though it resides in a tough division. Pittsburgh's biggest issue in recent years has been a lack of quarterback stability and strong supporting offensive talent. The Packers have both, which might be reason enough for him to consider a jump from the AFC North to the NFC North.

The path to the playoffs wouldn't be as easy in Green Bay as it would in Atlanta, but Tomlin has shown that he knows how to get a team into the dance. The Packers have the pieces needed to win playoff games—which is precisely why Saturday's loss has raised questions about LaFleur's future.

Las Vegas Raiders

AP Photo

The Las Vegas Raiders aren't in an easy division, and they don't have a playoff-ready roster. What they could offer Tomlin, though, is the chance to get "his" quarterback at the top of the draft and build a contender from the ground up.

Las Vegas has the No. 1 pick in April's draft and will likely use it on either Indiana signal-caller Fernando Mendoza or Oregon quarterback Dante Moore. While there's no such thing as a "sure thing" in the NFL draft, both prospects appear to have a higher ceiling than Kenny Pickett, the only QB Pittsburgh drafted in Round 1 during Tomlin's tenure.

And while the Raiders had a disappointing campaign in 2025, they do have some talented building blocks, like offensive tackle Kolton Miller, tight end Brock Bowers, and edge-rusher Maxx Crosby.

Las Vegas also has $98.1 million in projected 2026 cap space, third-most in the league. If the Raiders draft well and are willing to spend in the spring, they could improve their roster dramatically in a hurry.

Make no mistake, rebuilding the Raiders will be a challenge. However, it's one Tomlin might welcome after inheriting a playoff-caliber team in Pittsburgh and winning his only Super Bowl in Year 2. Succeeding in Las Vegas would certainly put a positive new spin on his legacy.

New York Giants

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

Giants QB Jaxson Dart

The New York Giants won't be drafting a quarterback highly this season, but they snagged Jaxson Dart in the first round a year ago. While Dart certainly isn't as proven as Jordan Love in Green Bay, he showed the potential to be a franchise-caliber quarterback as a rookie.

Dart threw for 15 touchdowns and only five interceptions, posted a 91.7 quarterback rating, and rushed for 487 yards and nine touchdowns last season. About the only real negative Dart put on film in 2025 was an unwillingness to avoid contact.

Tomlin might not get to draft his quarterback in New York, but he'd have a promising young one with whom to work.

Like Las Vegas, the Giants also have several good building blocks on the roster, despite having an underwhelming overall group. It's not difficult to envision Tomlin building a contender around the bones that Dart, Cam Skattebo, Andrew Thomas, Malik Nabers, Brian Burns, and Abdul Carter can provide.

The Giants are poised to add another blue-chip prospect to the group, as they currently own the fifth overall pick in April's draft.

As would be the case in Las Vegas, Tomlin would have a chance in New York to expand on his legacy by returning a once-prominent franchise to relevance.

Tennessee Titans

AP Photo/Gary McCullough

Titans QB Cam Ward

The Tennessee Titans would give Tomlin similar opportunities as the Giants, even if their overall roster has a little less to offer.

The Titans enter 2026 with a second-year quarterback, Cam Ward, who flashed immense upside during an up-and-down rookie season. The first overall pick in last year's draft has the potential to be the sort of high-end NFL starter Tomlin once coached in Ben Roethlisberger.

Obviously, there's a lot of work to do in Tennessee, and the Titans don't have many true difference-makers, aside from Ward and star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. The Titans have assets with which to build around Ward, though. They also have a general manager in former Kansas City Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi, who has interested top coaching candidates.

"They're actually high up on a lot of these coaches' lists because they have a quarterback, they like the GM down there, as well," Fox Sports insider Jay Glazer said on Fox on Saturday (beginning at the 37-second mark).

Winning in the AFC South could be a challenge, as the division just sent two teams to the postseason. However, the franchise is ripe for a rapid rebuild.

With the fourth and 35th picks in April's draft, plus $103 million in projected cap space, Tennessee could build a roster ready to compete for the playoffs within the next couple of seasons.

The Television Studio or Broadcast Booth

AP Photo/Ian Walton

Mike Tomlin

There's a very good chance that we won't see Tomlin coaching on another sideline in 2026. He may want a break from the stress of running a team before diving right back into it. If he does want a breather, or is simply unhappy with the current crop of openings, Tomlin could spend the season with a media outlet instead.

That's the path Payton took after stepping down as the New Orleans Saints head coach in 2022. He worked for Fox during the 2022 season before interviewing for the Broncos' job in 2023.

That's assuming Tomlin even wants to return to coaching. He could also follow in the footsteps of Cowher, who joined CBS Sports' The NFL Today after stepping down in 2006 and has been with the program ever since.

According to The Athletic's Andrew Marchand, Tomlin should draw interest from Fox, CBS, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video and would "likely receive multi-million dollar offers from all of them."

Tomlin would most likely be recruited for a studio position, as Cowher was, though former head coaches have ended up in the broadcast booth. Regardless of where he'd best fit, Tomlin "has been eyed by broadcasters for a decade," according to Marchand.

If Tomlin doesn't see an ideal fit among current NFL openings, joining the media might be the most logical play. He could earn a lucrative salary while staying close to the NFL game, choosing down the road whether to make it a full-time second career or whether to jump at the next attractive opening.