Mike Tomlin strongly indicates that he is not interested in discussing his future with the Pittsburgh Steelers. How do we know? Because he walked away when he was asked about it.
The longtime Steelers coach fielded questions from reporters after a 31-17 loss to the Bills on a frigid night in Buffalo. A loss that gave Pittsburgh a quick, one-game exit from the postseason.
One reporter got as far as reminding Tomlin that he has one more year left on his contract with the Steelers, but she got no farther.
In fact, the reporter didn’t even get the full question out before Tomlin abruptly turned on his heel and walked away.
Speculation has run rampant all season that this could be Tomlin’s last year in Pittsburgh. First-round draft pick Kenny Pickett has struggled with turnovers and consistency in his two years with the team. Pickett has only 4,474 yards in 25 starts and 13 interceptions to accompany his 13 touchdowns.
As the longest-tenured coach in the league following the end of Pete Carroll and Bille Belichick’s tenures with their teams, many have wondered whether Tomlin would choose to retire or go to another team instead of starting over in Pittsburgh.
Time will tell what Tomlin decides to do. But, judging by his reaction tonight, he’s in no mood total about it.