‘I could see Tomlin taking a breather’: Could Mike Tomlin really walk away from Steelers and take a year off?

Mike Tomlin has the Pittsburgh Steelers back on top of the AFC North at 7-6, the firing talk has cooled off, and on the surface it looks like a normal December in Pittsburgh. Behind the scenes, it is anything but calm.Between a contract option that runs through 2027, whispers about his camp leaking details, and new chatter that he might step away like Mike Vrabel did, Tomlin’s future is suddenly a real conversation again. At the same time, his name is being thrown around in Michigan rumors while the Wolverines scramble to replace Sherrone Moore after firing him for an “inappropriate relationship” with a staffer.

Insiders think Mike Tomlin could step away from Steelers and hit pause on coaching

The first wave of speculation around Tomlin was simple: would the Steelers finally fire him if this season went bad.

That talk cooled after Pittsburgh beat the Baltimore Ravens 27-22 on Dec. 7 to move to 7-6 and grab first place in the AFC North.Now the louder question is whether Tomlin himself might decide he needs a break. NFL insider James Palmer raised that possibility during a live stream on Bleacher Report’s YouTube channel, in comments relayed by Troy Montgomery of Steelers Depot.“I wouldn't weigh out the possibility of him taking a year off, kind of like Mike Vrabel,” Palmer said.

“...Ended up being a consultant with the Browns for a year and kind of did everything in that building before landing [the New England Patriots] job.”

Palmer then went further. “I could see Tomlin taking a breather,” he added. “Some people around the league believe he just looks tired. And potentially going into the media for a year. I think everybody would have him, in all honesty. I can kind of see that being the case, what happens with Mike Tomlin.”There is real fuel for that idea. Tomlin has been in the job since 2007, has 18 straight non-losing seasons, and is tied for 10th all time with 190 wins. That kind of run wears on anyone. Earlier this year, one national story even floated the idea that Tomlin could be “the next $100M NFL TV analyst” for a major media partner.Dianna Russini of The Athletic echoed the league-wide read on where Tomlin is mentally. According to Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot, she said Tomlin is “tired” but “still has the love of football in him.”

That is exactly the profile of a coach who might think hard about a reset season.The contract structure also gives him a natural decision point. Tomlin signed a three-year extension in June 2024 that runs through 2026 and includes a team option for 2027. Pittsburgh has to decide on that option by March 1, 2026.So you have a long-tenured coach with leverage, clear fatigue, outside interest in TV, and a built-in deadline on his deal.

That is why Palmer’s suggestion lands. The league has already seen versions of this.Vrabel went from being fired by the Tennessee Titans after the 2023 season to spending 2024 as a consultant with the Cleveland Browns, then taking the New England Patriots job in 2025. Pete Carroll stepped away from the Seattle Seahawks job after the 2023 campaign, reportedly worked in a consultant role in 2024, then resurfaced with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Sean Payton retired from the New Orleans Saints after 2021, worked in media, then took over the Denver Broncos in 2023.Tomlin fits that pattern in one key way: if he ever actually hits the market, he will not lack options. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has already reported that Tomlin is not getting fired. Any split would be mutual, and there are always a few teams every cycle that want a grown-up head coach with proof he can build a stable locker room.That is why a true “year off” still feels like the biggest swing. Tomlin would have to turn down real jobs to take it. The only way that happens is if he decides his body and mind need the break more than he needs an immediate sideline.For now, the reality is simpler. He is coaching a 7-6 team, getting ready to host the 6-7 Miami Dolphins on Monday night. As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Pittsburgh as a three-point favorite.

The deeper questions about 2026 and beyond are waiting, but they are not answered yet.

Contract leaks, Michigan chaos, and why Mike Tomlin’s name keeps coming up

The noise around Tomlin’s future is not just about fatigue. It is also about who is pushing information out.ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Steelers must decide by March 1 whether to pick up the 2027 team option on Tomlin’s contract or let the deal expire after the 2026 season. That detail did not come from nowhere. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Gerry Dulac went on 102.5 WDVE and pointed the finger directly at Tomlin’s camp.“First of all, that's coming from Mike Tomlin's agent, because it's not coming from the Steelers,” Dulac said. “Because they don't discuss anything that's going to happen after the season, during the season. From that end, I know where that's coming from. The stuff about the option, I mean, I'm not going to sit here and dispute it because I know this, a couple contract extensions ago, they gave Mike Tomlin, it was a one-year extension with a one-year option.

And ever since then, I just assumed, and maybe even before that, there was always an option clause in his contract.”If Dulac is right, Tomlin’s side is making sure everyone knows the timeline and the structure. That usually means one of two things: leverage, or preparation for change. Either you want the team to commit early, or you want the rest of the league to know when the door might open.

While that plays out, Tomlin’s name is being pulled into a different storm entirely.

Michigan fired head coach Sherrone Moore after an internal investigation found he had an “inappropriate relationship” with a staff member. That followed only two seasons and 16 total wins, and it came while the school is still trying to repair its reputation from the sign-stealing scandal that pushed Jim Harbaugh to the NFL.On ESPN, Paul Finebaum immediately turned the conversation toward big names who could reset the brand.

He mentioned Urban Meyer, Kalen DeBoer, both Harbaugh brothers, and even Tomlin as the kind of options that would send a message. Finebaum even joked, “I would be there for the opening game if Urban Meyer does end up as Michigan’s head coach.”Dan Wetzel joined him in setting the bar for the type of hire Michigan should chase. “That is the level of coach you’re talking about,” Wetzel said while comparing the job to the Alabama role currently held by DeBoer.

“I’m not saying that Kalen DeBoer is going to take or even want to consider anything like that, I’m just saying that level of coach. If you’re going to rank the possible jobs, the best situations in college football, Michigan is going to be in your top 5 or 6… It’s not Ohio State, it may not be Texas, but they gave Harbaugh seven or eight years… There’s also a bit of patience and perspective there.

”On paper, Michigan makes sense for any coach who wants money, power, and time.

It is a top-tier program, it will not struggle to recruit, and the school has already shown it will ride out early bumps if it believes in the person it hired.Tomlin is a different equation. He has coached only in the NFL since he became a head coach. He has never had to deal with recruiting, NIL, or the grind of managing a college roster. If he leaves Pittsburgh, every indicator says his first call will be to another NFL team or a network, not to an athletic director.That is why the Michigan talk feels more like outside fantasy than a real plan from Tomlin’s side. The more realistic options sit inside the league: stay in Pittsburgh with another extension, walk into another NFL job, or take the Vrabel and Payton route and press pause for a season while working in media or a building in a lighter role.From the Steelers’ perspective, everything comes back to that option deadline. If Tomlin makes another playoff push, picking up 2027 becomes a simple decision.

If the season derails late, both sides may have to decide whether they want to ride out one more year together or quietly line up a split that still protects his legacy in the city.Until then, the only facts are these. Tomlin is under contract. The Steelers control the option. Trusted reporters say he is tired but still locked in. Other insiders see a possible breather year. And a blue-blood college program that just fired its coach for cause is hoping a big NFL name might eventually listen.