After nearly two decades at the helm, Mike Tomlin stepped down as captain of the Pittsburgh Steelers ship, just one day after a humbling 30-6 Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans. The Steelers now have a head coaching opening for the first time since 2007 and only the third time since 1969. But what’s next for Tomlin, the future Hall of Famer?
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Tomlin is still only 53 despite his 19 years with the Steelers, meaning he has plenty of tread left on his tires. His predecessor in Pittsburgh, Bill Cowher, was 49 when he stepped down, never to coach again. So it’s possible Tomlin is done. But that doesn’t seem likely. The general consensus right now seems to be that Tomlin will take a year off and possibly do TV before pinpointing his ideal job in 2027. The Sean Payton route, they’re calling it.
But there are eight other open head coaching posts in the NFL right now, so it’s very possible Tomlin gets lured back sooner than people think. And according to Josina Anderson, Tomlin would like to coach in a “warm-weather environment” if possible.
The warm weather teams with coaching openings right now would be the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, and Tennessee Titans. Here are the top three options for Tomlin.
3. Tennessee Titans (Average temp: 61 degrees Fahrenheit)
With the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft and a young QB with a ton of potential, the Tennessee Titans are certainly an option. First-overall pick Cam Ward struggled as a rookie, but the situation he was in didn’t give him much of a chance.
If Tomlin can find a good OC to mentor Ward and then focus on retooling the defense, the Titans could return to relevance quickly in what is usually (though not this year) a weak division in the AFC South. Tennessee had success with a similar type of coach in Mike Vrabel a few years back.
2. Atlanta Falcons (Average temp: 61 degrees Fahrenheit)
Though the quarterback situation is a little bit more muddled for the Atlanta Falcons than it is in Nashville, they’ve got more overall talent. And again, they play in a weak division in the NFC South, which was won with an 8-9 record this season.
The Falcons will also be hiring a new general manager, which means Tomlin and that person can start the rebuild on the same foot. With Bijan Robinson and a lot of quality players on defense, it’s almost built like a Tomlin team.
1. Las Vegas Raiders (Average temp: 68 degrees Fahrenheit)
The hottest option also seems like the most plausible. The Las Vegas Raiders swung and missed big time with Pete Carroll, and they have fired a few other staffers as well. Tomlin could come in and bring in coaches he likes. And while Steelers fans will tell you that might not be best for your team, Tomlin will certainly appreciate the control.
He will also appreciate working with someone like Tom Brady, as evidenced by his strong relationship with Aaron Rodgers. Not to mention they have the No. 1 pick and are likely to select Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza in the draft, who is looking like a potentially franchise-altering prospect. The Raiders are also a historical, blue-chip franchise (well, they used to be at least) in the NFL, much like Tomlin’s Steelers.
