If you thought the chaos was done throughout this head coaching cycle, you were dead wrong. The Atlanta Falcons already have enough competition to lure top coaching candidates to Atlanta, but they'll be competing with one more team now that the Pittsburgh Steelers' job suddenly opened up.
It was kind of expected after another early playoff exit against the Houston Texans, but not like this. Many fans were expecting the Steelers to fire Mike Tomlin, but instead, he informed the team that he plans to step away from coaching, which feels like a courtesy they granted to avoid having to fire him.
🚨 🚨 🚨 #Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has informed the team that he plans to step away from coaching, meaning one of the greatest to do it will take a break.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 13, 2026
Pittsburgh has a coveted opening. pic.twitter.com/iqp3qoX7bO
Prior to his firing, the Super Bowl-winning head coach was the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL, as he was set to enter his 20th season in Pittsburgh in 2026. This could mean that there's a third-ex AFC North head coach for Arthur Blank to covet, but I doubt the Falcons pursue Tomlin.
The Steelers just lost their fifth straight playoff game by double-digits, which saw Tomlin tie Marvin Lewis for the most consecutive playoff losses without a win in the 30-6 loss last night. They haven't even won a playoff game since 2017, so it was hard to argue that that the Steelers should run it back.
Mike Tomlin's resignation just complicated Falcons' head coaching search
Reports indicate that the 53-year-ols is planning to do what Raheem Morris might do and spend next season (and potentially beyond) working in sports media, before pursuing a coaching comeback before the 2027 season. After all, there is a hole The NFL Today needs to fill now that Matt Ryan left.
Now that Tomlin tendered his resignation, it does more than see a top coach hit the market. The Steelers also have a head coaching vacancy they need to fill, which means that the competition for a new coach got that much tougher since one of the league's premier franchises is now involved.
The Dirty Birds are heralded as one of the most desirable head coach openings this cycle, mainly because the roster is built to instantly compete in arguably the NFL's worst division in the NFC South. With that said, competing with eight other teams for top candidates is tough for any front office.
The Falcons' elite weapons and several defensive cornerstones will help their case, but the Steelers haven't had a losing record in 19 seasons with Tomlin. Their roster is just as competitive, so they could be a threat to land some of the top names on Matt Ryan's wish list despite their own QB woes.
Luckily, it would be shocking if John Harbaugh took the Steelers' job after the Ravens fired him, especially since he's one of the Falcons' top candidates, but now that there's another franchise set to interview those coaches, fans should be worried.