Instead of possibly leaving Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlin will likely receive a contract extension this offseason. Steelers president Art Rooney II told the Post-Gazette on Thursday that the plan is to extend Tomlin's contract before the start of the 2024 season.
Tomlin himself alluded to the possibility of receiving a contract extension during Thursday's season-ending press conference. He added, though, that there was no hurry on his end to get a deal done. In the past, Tomlin's deal has usually been extended during training camp.
Regardless of when it gets done, it seems like a foregone conclusion that Tomlin will have multiple years left on his contract prior to the start of next season. His current contract (which is set to expire after next season) was a topic of discussion prior to the start of this past season, and was so again amid Pittsburgh's three-game losing streak late in the regular season.
Tomlin's future continued to be speculated on at the end of the season, when the Steelers made the playoffs after rallying to win their final three games. One report noted that Tomlin may take a year off from coaching, a notion he shot down on Thursday.
Tomlin was asked directly about his contract following Pittsburgh's season-ending loss to Buffalo. He walked off the podium while the question was being asked, a situation Tomlin said on Thursday that he could have handled better.
With Bill Belichick no longer in New England, Tomlin is now the NFL's longest-tenured coach with one franchise. He's been with the Steelers since 2007. Since Tomlin's arrival in Pittsburgh, the Steelers have won one Super Bowl, two AFC titles, seven division titles and 11 playoff appearances. The Steelers have not had a losing record over that span, and their 20 consecutive non-losing seasons is the second-longest such stretch in NFL history.
Tomlin, though, remains singularly focused on one thing, and that'll continue to be the focus in 2024 and however long he plans to continue coaching the Steelers.
"We want to be world champions," Tomlin said. "Every year, we build with that intention."