NFL Rumors: Mike Tomlin to leave Pittsburgh after 2021 season?

Mike Tomlin has been the head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2007, just the third coach the team has had since 1969. Tomlin has won a Super Bowl (as the youngest head coach), two AFC Championships and has a career record of 154-87-1. He's never had a losing season while leading the Pittsburgh Steelers, having pulled off some incredible comebacks over the years.

LSU, USC interested in Mike Tomlin

Former Buffalo Bills GM and Pittsburgh Steelers executive Doug Whaley appeared on 93.7's "The Fan Morning Show" and stated that he thinks Mike Tomlin could be interested in two college head coach positions: LSU and USC.

"Six letters for Steelers fans to be very concerned about... LSU, USC. Think about that. Both institutions can out-pay the Rooneys. Their alumni base has enough money to give Mike Tomlin whatever he wants... Two, Mike Tomlin would be GM, president, CEO of that football program. Three, LSU (athletic director) Scott Woodward is known for going big game hunting. In LSU, you have such a fertile recruiting ground, you're going to put a barricade, a fence around it...(Nick) Saban's not going to be around forever. Now you can talk about dominating the SEC like Saban and you can put your name alongside those who have won a Super Bowl and a National Championship." - Doug Whaley on Mike Tomlin

Most Steelers fans likely brushed off these rumors, but this isn't the only person to bring up Mike Tomlin's name. Former Heisman-winning quarterback and rival of Mike Tomlin, Carson Palmer, appeared on "The Dan Patrick Show" and heard that Tomlin is a front-runner for the job at USC.

"I've been as involved as they'll let me be... there's a lot of front-runners right now. You've got a wild card like Mike Tomlin, if Mike Tomlin wants out...At the end of the day there's not a 'that's the guy everybody's pointing their fingers at'... It can lure an NFL guy that is tired of their current situation and worried about, is Ben Roethlisberger gone, is he done, who are we going to draft? Does Mike Tomlin have to start over with a first-round, young rookie quarterback?" - Carson Palmer on Mike Tomlin

One of Mike Tomlin's former players, Ryan Clark, also chimed in about his former head coach's future.

"If Mike Tomlin wants this job, I would make him an offer that would truly make him disrespectful to Lord Jesus Christ to turn down... For him to turn it down, it would basically be spitting in the face of a preacher, preist, rabbi, monk and a nun at the same time. That's how much of a blessing this offer would be to the entire Tomlin family. I would offer him so much money that the kids of his kids' kids' kids' kids will have their 529 already paid for college." - Ryan Tomlin on "After Further Review".

Tomlin's job was on the hot seat back in 2012 when the Steelers went 8-8 for two straight seasons and missed the playoffs. He bounced back by winning the AFC North in three of the next four seasons.

The Steelers missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons again in 2018 and 2019. 2020 saw Mike Tomlin take his team to 11-0 before struggling down the stretch to finish 12-4 and with a first-round exit in the playoffs.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are currently 3-3 at the bottom of the AFC North and the team has no real future at quarterback after this season. There's no guarantee Mike Tomlin will keep his streak alive with zero losing seasons in his career, but 2022 will be a new challenge overall.

He has only had Ben Roethlisberger as his franchise quarterback, outside of some injuries. It is at this point that rumors linking Tomlin with open positions in college football have sprung up.

Could Mike Tomlin leave NFL behind for NCAA?

Is there really any truth behind these rumors? Steelers fans would think not, but a realist has to look at all the facts.

Ben Roethlisberger is "likely" to retire after this year. That leaves Pittsburgh with a massive void at quarterback with Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins Jr. as possible replacements.

The Steelers will likely have a first-round pick outside of the top 20 and will have to trade for a top-tier quarterback, such as Matt Corral or Malik Willis. With Roethlisberger, Mike Tomlin is looking to start over with a rookie quarterback on a win-now roster.

It will be a tough challenge, but one he is up to no doubt. However, Mike Tomlin has a track record of ending up in the hot seat from time to time. So how much leeway is Pittsburgh going to give him with a new quarterback? There's a chance Mike Tomlin will be released after two or three seasons once Roethlisberger leaves.

Mike Tomlin is smart enough to see the writing on the wall. He now has college programs sniffing around with deep pockets and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for his future and family. In two or three years, these offers might not be around. It's at least an interesting storyline to track for the rest of the season. If things start going downhill again for Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlin could open his door to interviews.