Head coach Mike Tomlin signs three-year extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers
By Sam Joseph, CNN
(CNN) — The Pittsburgh Steelers announced Monday that head coach Mike Tomlin signed a three-year contract extension, keeping him with the team through the 2027 campaign and ending offseason speculation regarding his status with the team.
Tomlin received his first shot at being an NFL head coach when he was hired by the Steelers in 2007 and has remained with the franchise ever since. The Super Bowl winning coach is entering his 18th season on the sideline this year.
“I am appreciative for this contract extension and thankful for (team president) Art Rooney II for his support during my first 17 years in Pittsburgh,” said the 52-year-old in a team statement. “We are continuing to work diligently to get back to where we belong – sustained playoff success with the ultimate goal of winning the franchise’s seventh Lombardi Trophy.
“I am very excited to get the 2024 season underway and provide our fans with a memorable year.”
Tomlin’s squads have been the epitome of consistency since his appointment. He has never had a losing season in any of his 17 seasons in Pittsburgh and has racked up 173 regular season wins, the second-most among active coaches behind Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.
He has guided the Steelers to 11 playoff appearances and won Super Bowl XLIII with the team in 2008. Then aged 36, he was the youngest head coach to ever claim the Lombardi Trophy before Sean McVay broke the record in 2022 with Los Angeles Rams, per the Steelers.
Incredibly, Tomlin is only the third Steelers head coach in the last 55 years. Chuck Noll led the team from 1969 to 1991 before fellow Hall of Famer Bill Cowher took over for the 1992 season and held the position until the end of the 2006 campaign.
“Mike Tomlin’s leadership and commitment to the Steelers have been pivotal to our success during his first 17 years as head coach,” Rooney said in a statement. “Extending his contract for three more years reflects our confidence in his ability to guide the team back to winning playoff games and championships, while continuing our tradition of success.”
Pittsburgh endured a tumultuous 2023 season in which it finished third in the competitive AFC North division behind the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns. There was uncertainty under center, with Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph taking turns as starting quarterback.
Despite the difficulties, the Steelers still finished with a 10-7 record and made a surprise playoff appearance, falling to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round.
The team has shuffled the QB room for Tomlin’s 18th season – Pickett, Trubisky and Rudolph are all on new teams, while Pittsburgh signed nine-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson following his release from the Denver Broncos and traded for former Chicago Bears first-round pick Justin Fields.
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