Mike Tomlin, Steelers Agree to New 3-Year Contract Extension; Money Unknown

The Pittsburgh Steelers announced an agreement Tuesday with head coach Mike Tomlin on a three-year contract extension through the 2024 NFL season. Financial details weren't immediately released.

"I am pleased to announce we have extended Mike Tomlin's contract through the 2024 season," team president Art Rooney II said. "Mike is one of the most successful head coaches in the National Football League, and we are confident in his leadership to continue to lead our team as we work to win another championship."

Tomlin, who was hired by the Steelers in 2007, has guided Pittsburgh to a 145-78-1 regular-season record (.650 winning percentage) and led the franchise to the Super Bowl XLIII title at the end of the 2008 campaign.

"I am extremely grateful for this contract extension and want to thank Art Rooney II and everyone in the organization for the support in my first 14 seasons," Tomlin said. "We have a goal of winning the organization's seventh Super Bowl championship, and I couldn't be more enthusiastic about this upcoming season."

The 49-year-old Virginia native has continued the organization's tradition of longstanding head coaches.

Chuck Noll led the Steelers from 1969 through 1991 and captured four Super Bowl titles. Bill Cowher took over in 1992 and held the position until 2006, adding the Super Bowl XL title to the team's trophy case. Tomlin followed, giving the team just three head coaches in 52 years.

That type of stability in the head coaching role is almost unheard of in the modern era, and Tomlin has solidified his spot for the foreseeable future by opening his career with 14 straight seasons without a losing record. He's had nine seasons with double-digit wins over that span.

He's the third-longest tenured NFL head coach behind the New England Patriots' Bill Belichick (hired in 2000) and New Orleans Saints' Sean Payton (2006).

Tomlin, who spent 12 years as an assistant at the collegiate and pro levels before being hired by the Steelers, also won a Super Bowl as an assistant with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in January 2003.

Looking ahead, the Steelers could be heading toward a period of transition, with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger facing an uncertain future at age 39. He's scheduled to become a free agent after the 2021 season after he and the team reworked his contract to a one-year, $14 million deal.

The extension for Tomlin represents a vote of confidence from ownership and the front office to lead the franchise through that likely passage to a new franchise quarterback.