News Article
Published
Oct 20, 2026 at 06:44 PM EDT
Ever since Mike Tomlin stepped down as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers at the end of last season, his name has been linked to seemingly any team that could potentially have a head-coaching vacancy next offseason.
The 54-year-old Tomlin signed a multiyear contract with NBC to serve as an analyst on the network’s “Sunday Night Football” pregame show, “Football Night in America.”
Tomlin has been making waves in his new profession — some NFL coaches reportedly aren’t happy with him exposing behind-the-scenes details of being a former coach.
Some fans love the raw honesty and candor he’s provided to broadcasts, but there’s always a possibility Tomlin could return to coaching in the next year or two.
In fact, NFL insider Josina Anderson reported this week that there’s one mystery team in the NFC that could target Tomlin in the offseason.
“I’m told by a long-time well-placed source that there’s an ownership family in the NFC who is very fond of Mike Tomlin and who the source has learned is open to wooing Tomlin to their franchise to potentially replace their current head coach if the ship isn’t righted for their team this season,” Anderson wrote.
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“As of right now, the sentiment is that this current head coach needs to make the playoffs at least to keep their job, per league source. As you all know, these ‘Carousel Season’ situations stay fluid.”
Anderson also stated she knows who the NFC team is but won’t disclose it because “the head coach seat is currently occupied and this coach still has a chance to stay” and “the owner would never acknowledge the above info publicly.”
But if we were to try and connect some dots, there are a handful of teams that fit the bill of what Anderson described.
The Atlanta Falcons (Kevin Stefanski), Dallas Cowboys (Brian Schottenheimer), Green Bay Packers (Matt LaFleur), New Orleans Saints (Kellen Moore), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Todd Bowles), and Washington Commanders (Dan Quinn) all have head coaches who could be fired if they miss the playoffs.
The Cowboys seem like the most logical landing spot considering how highly owner Jerry Jones has spoken of Tomlin in the past, and the fact that the team’s fans are already calling for Jones to can Schottenheimer, who’s off to a 2-4 start this season.