Mike Tomlin ‘has job waiting for him’ as Steelers head into Ravens showdown at point of no return

Jan 1, 2026 - 14:00

Mike Tomlin enters a winner-takes-all Sunday Night Football showdown with his coaching future under the spotlight.

A shock Week 17 defeat to the 4-12 Cleveland Browns saw the Pittsburgh Steelers miss the chance to secure a playoff spot.

Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers may both have a decision to make soon[/caption]

talkSPORT reacts.... All on the line

Pittsburgh vs Baltimore. Steelers vs Ravens. Tomlin vs Harbaugh.

For almost two decades it’s been synonymous with the AFC North, so it’s fitting that with both men facing serious questions about their future they go head to head with everything on the line.

The division title and a home playoff game awaits the winner, while the losing will miss the post and come under pressure to keep their role.

It’s often easy to think how things could be better somewhere else, and the Steelers and Ravens have been good but not great, so naturally fans are calling for a change.

The teams stand at the point of no return for their season – the coaches, perhaps their careers.

Paul Prenderville, US Sports Editor

Now, they face the Baltimore Ravens in a contest that will decide the AFC North champion and send the victor to the postseason.

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter suggested that Steelers head coach Tomlin and opposite number John Harbaugh could both find themselves out of a job if they lose.

And ESPN colleague Peter Schrager has rolled out the red carpet to the NFL’s longest tenured head coach, who joined Pittsburgh in 2007.

“Having worked in the TV game for quite some bit, I will tell you, having worked at Fox, having worked at NFL Network, and now here at ESPN, there is a chair waiting — whether it be in the booth or on one of these wonderful, warm, weather-controlled sets — for Mike Tomlin to make a lot of money talking football if he so wishes for a year. Or, he can pick his spot of open vacant jobs,” he said on First Take.

Tomlin’s name has been mentioned as a potential broadcaster for some time and would be a huge coup.

He has given no indication that his time is up on the sidelines, however.

The veteran has already extended his streak of winning seasons to 19, having turned to Aaron Rodgers as a stopgap under center.

His 9-7 Steelers would be massive underdogs should they reach the postseason, with both Tomlin and his 42-year-old quarterback looking for an elusive second ring.

Rodgers could decide to retire at the end of his one-year contract, and Tomlin is determined to drag out the decision for as long as possible.

“I don’t know that I’ve taken time to ponder that,” he said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, about the potential for Sunday to be the all-time great’s final game. “I’m just committed to making sure that it’s not.

Tomlin has historically been one of the safest NFL head coaches[/caption]

Shedeur Sanders’ Browns sprang a massive upset[/caption]

“He’s certainly been an awesome contributor to our efforts, not only from a talent perspective and an experience perspective, but just his professionalism, his relationship with the game, his love for his teammates, and his willingness to help them grow and get better and gain a better understanding each and every day has been cool to be part of.”

Rodgers has certainly thought about it.

“I’m thinking about this week, but obviously I’m 42 years old and I’m on a one-year deal,” he admitted. “You know what the situation is.

“Whenever the season ends, I’ll be a free agent. So that’ll give me a lot of options if I still want to play. I mean, not a lot of options, but there’ll be options, I would think, maybe one or two, if I decide I still want to play.”

After a nightmare spell with the New York Jets, Rodgers has been glad to get back to winning ways.

“I’ve enjoyed this experience, and everybody in Pittsburgh has been fantastic to me on and off the field,” he said. “It’s really what I was hoping for this experience was, it’s been even better than I was hoping.”

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