Steelers HC Mike Tomlin exits press conference when asked about contract situation

Emotions are all over the place in Pittsburgh right now following the Steelers’ wild-card playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday.

With speculation regarding head coach Mike Tomlin’s future with the team, a reporter at the postgame press conference asked the longtime Steelers boss a question that he was bound to get at some point tonight.

“Mike, you have a year left on your contract…” the reporter began.

Without letting her finish, Tomlin exited the podium and left immediately. Watch the moment below:

#Steelers HC Mike Tomlin walked off the podium as a reporter started asking about his contract situation.

There's been a ton of speculation around the league whether Tomlin would leave Pittsburgh.

Here's the video of the ending:pic.twitter.com/wjO1jL14xG

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 16, 2024

Before the Steelers’ 31-17 loss to the Bills in the playoffs on Monday, ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter revealed the latest on Tomlin — and whether or not he plans to stay in Pittsburgh for the final year of his contract.

“Mike Tomlin is expected to take some time after the season ends to see whether or not he would be willing to step away from the Steelers,” Schefter said. “He’s not getting fired. He’s welcome to stay in Pittsburgh as long as he wants.

“But, people expect him to talk with his family and Arthur Rooney to see if he could conceivably take a break after this year for a year, the way that Sean Payton once did in New Orleans, where he took a break from the Saints and then wound up coaching the Broncos. There’ll be some decisions that Mike Tomlin has to make.”

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio revealed during the halftime show of the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns’ wildcard game that Tomlin typically does this sort of thing, but there seems to be more of an emphasis on it this coming offseason.

“He loves the team. He loves the young players that they have there. But, after the season, he’ll huddle with his family and make a decision about his future with the Steelers,” Florio said.

Tomlin has never had a losing season as the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, a position that he took over in 2007. He is just the 16th head coach in franchise history, and as Schefter noted, is welcome to return next year and beyond if he is willing to renew his contract, which expires at the end of next season.

Still, it’s a position that Tomlin, 51, has held since he was 34 years old. Amid all of the speculation, who’s to say Tomlin wouldn’t want to move on at this point in his career?