Mike Tomlin warned teams tempted to offer the Steelers a trade for their head coach that he’s not going anywhere.
Tomlin intends to return for his 19th season in Pittsburgh and signed a contract extension prior to last season. He’s the longest-tenured coach in the NFL and met with general manager Omar Khan and owner Art Rooney II on Monday.
“Save your time,” Tomlin said Tuesday of his response to reports that teams are kicking the tires on acquiring him this offseason.
The Steelers’ wild-card round loss at Baltimore last week was the fifth consecutive postseason appearance without a win.
“I understand the nature of what it is that we do, the attention and criticism that comes with it,” he said. “As a matter of fact … I embrace it, to be quite honest with you. I enjoy the urgency that comes with what I do and what we do. I don’t make excuses for failure. I own it, but I also feel like I’m capable, and so as long as I’m afforded an opportunity to do that, I will continue, but I certainly understand their frustrations and probably more importantly than that, I share it because that’s how I’m wired.”
Tomlin said there are changes expected in the organization. Whether they involve another swing at the quarterback position isn’t clear.
Quarterback Russell Wilson signed a one-year deal in 2024 after being released by the Denver Broncos. He said earlier this week “the plan” from his perspective is to find a way to stay in Pittsburgh. Backup Justin Fields, who went 4-2 while Wilson nursed a calf injury, is also a free agent at the start of the 2025 league year in March.
Tomlin said the Steelers aren’t looking to point fingers at specific positions or areas of fault. He also said he wasn’t in front of the microphone to “sell optimism, either.”
“Particularly at this level in this business and game, there’s football justice. You get what you deserve, and so we are here and we’re here for really tangible reasons,” Tomlin said. “We didn’t involve in the right ways. We didn’t strike the right chords at the right time, particularly down the stretch.”
