Mike Tomlin will talk with family before deciding Steelers future

In what is already a star studded marketplace for NFL coaches, another huge name could be added to the group. While longtime Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has his team back in the playoffs, it’s unclear whether he will return to Pittsburgh next season, according to Pro Football Talk . The Steelers won’t fire Tomlin, according to the report, and are interested in giving him an extension, but Tomlin is unsure of whether he wants to return.

This is the first time Tomlin has been approaching the last year of a deal since all his previous contracts were extended with two years remaining. According to the report, Tomlin will consult with his family regarding his football future and may sign a new deal that keeps him with Pittsburgh. There’s also a chance, with one season left on his contract, Tomlin could resign and either sit out next year or find out if another team wants to acquire his coaching rights from the Steelers.

The other possibility is for Tomlin to coach the Steelers next season, complete his contract, and then hit the open market. If he waited a year, Tomlin would likely be the most coveted head coach available. This offseason, he might have to compete with the likes of Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll, and Mike Vrabel, as well as others, if a coach is canned after an early playoff exit.

The 51 year old Tomlin has been the head coach of the Steelers since 2007 and has a Super Bowl title on his resume. And he’s in the middle of another stellar coaching job, as Tomlin guided the Steelers to a playoff berth despite shaky quarterback play, first from Kenny Pickett and then Mitchell Trubisky.

Mason Rudolph has since emerged as the starter and has guided the Steelers to victory in all three of his starts as they wait to face the Buffalo Bills on Monday in a wild card game. The game was originally scheduled to be played Sunday at 1 p.m., but blizzard like conditions forced the game to be moved to Monday at 4:30 pm..