Steelers’ Mike Tomlin Walks Out of Press Conference When Asked About Future

The longtime Pittsburgh coach didn’t appear to be in the mood to discuss his plans following Monday’s wild card loss to the Bills.

In the aftermath of Saturday’s AFC wild card loss, Pittsburgh Steelers Mike Tomlin made it abundantly clear he’s not yet ready to acknowledge an uncertain road ahead in regards to his coaching future. 

Tomlin, the Steelers coach since 2007, took the podium for his usual post-game media session following Pittsburgh’s 31–17 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The proceedings took a sudden turn, however, after Tomlin fielded a question from ESPN’s Brooke Pryor that began with the reporter saying, “Mike, you have a year left on your contract.” 

Before Pryor could finish the question, Tomlin abruptly walked off the podium and ended his press conference, leaving the media and fans to speculate on what the coach will do with his contract set to expire after the 2024 season.

Mike Tomlin, asked about his future after the #Steelers playoff loss, walks off the podium. pic.twitter.com/mHLyivdU0q

— Alan Saunders (@ASaunders_PGH) January 16, 2024

While Tomlin’s clear evasion may only lead to more questions, the longtime coach figures to remain as tight-lipped as possible on his future until the right time, which may or not be this offseason.

Over his 17 years, Tomlin has compiled a 173–100–2 record in the regular season with zero losing seasons, and an 8–10 mark in the playoffs.