Not only are the Atlanta Falcons at risk of missing out on John Harbaugh during this head coaching cycle, Mike Tomlin isn't in the realm of possibility either. After Tomlin stepped down from his post with the Pittsburgh Steelers, instant interest was expected to follow, but that didn't change the inevitable.
The expectation was that the Super Bowl-winning coach wouldn't be on the sidelines in 2026, which NFL Insider Ian Rapoport helped to confirm. He could return to coaching in 2027 or possibly beyond, but Tomlin will be stepping away from coaching at least for the next season despite that interest.
In the hours after Mike Tomlin told the #Steelers he was stepping downs, teams have contacted Tomlin to express their interest, sources say.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 14, 2026
PIT has his rights and draft compensation would be necessary. That said, teams were told Tomlin does not plan to coach next year. pic.twitter.com/Gx1a7grjg7
Following the Steelers' 30-6 playoff loss to the Houston Texans on Monday night, Tomlin was firmly on the hot seat since the Steelers lost their fifth straight playoff game by double digits night. Instead of firing him, they gave him a chance to leave the team under his own accord, which is pretty classy.
Mike Tomlin officially won't be coaching the Falcons (or anywhere) in 2026
Rapoport also revealed that if Tomlin wants to return to coaching in the future, it would be reminiscent of Sean Payton's return. The Steelers hold his rights, so if another team wants to make him their head coach, they would have to facilitate a trade like the one that sent Payton from New Orleans to Denver.
After he stepped down the Dirty Birds were floated as a potential landing spot, but those hopes were dashed pretty quickly. In all honesty, the Falcons need someone to raise their ceiling and help them capitalize on a roster built to contend, not a coach who hasn't won a playoff game since 2017.
The 53-year-old never led the Steelers to a losing record in 19 seasons at the helm, which is incredibly impressive since he dragged some truly mediocre teams to the postseason. However Falcons are amid an eight-year playoff drought and still have a more recent playoff win than Tomlin.
He's still a great coach, but this parting of ways is what both sides needed. Like with John Harbaugh, things can just get stale after a while, especially when you're creeping up on two decades. It's unlikely he was ever going to emerge as a quality candidate in Atlanta, but with Arthur Blank, you never know.
Rumors have surfaced that Tomlin will spend the season working in TV, just like Raheem Morris might. Now that Matt Ryan left CBS to take the president of football position in Atlanta, there's an opening on The NFL Today desk, and Tomlin's name has been floated as a potential replacement.
Even though Tomlin wasn't the answer to this team's prayers, the Falcons' head coaching search just got a whole lot more complicated, so Blank and Ryan better buckle up.