As the Steelers struggled during the season, questions about Tomlin’s future with the organisation surfaced. However, Mason Rudolph’s outstanding play under centre helped Pittsburgh make it to the postseason, which effectively put an end to those rumours. After the loss to the Bills, though, Tomlin gave them new life when he stormed out of his news conference when questioned about his contract and future with the organisation.

At first glance, it appears that Tomlin and the Steelers had nothing to be concerned about, particularly in light of Tuesday’s rumours suggesting he had no plans to leave the organisation this offseason. But once Pittsburgh’s season ended, you can’t ignore his response to such a corny question, and it’s fair to wonder whether or not there’s something Tomlin knows about his future that we don’t.

What does the future hold for Mike Tomlin and the Steelers?

Despite the fact that the Steelers have only won one Super Bowl under Tomlin’s leadership, he has managed them to be competitive each season for the entirety of his 17-year tenure. This involves them going through some growing pains as they move from the Ben Roethlisberger to Kenny Pickett (or Mason Rudolph) era.

There would be greater motivation to fire Tomlin if Pittsburgh was performing badly under him, but that hasn’t occurred yet. It must be acknowledged that they went through a period in the middle of the season where they lost four out of five games, with the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots accounting for two of those losses. However, Rudolph got the ball and helped guide the Steelers into the playoffs, and all seemed well.

The concerning thing is Tomlin’s reaction to the question about his future after losing to the Bills. Tomlin is entering the final year of his contract in 2024, but that isn’t a massive concern at this point. If the Steelers keep winning, and Tomlin wants to coach, the two sides will find a way to come to an agreement to keep him in town.

Pittsburgh might have lost, but Tomlin’s future seemed secure. Heck, it still does after he shot down the notion that he’s going to leave this offseason, But you can’t help but be somewhat concerned with him walking out of his press conference when asked such a simple question. If there wasn’t anything wrong, why would he have walked out midway through being asked a question? It doesn’t make much sense.

Being on the receiving end of constant questions about the future is pretty common for NFL coaches, especially when they have been coaching for as long as Tomlin has. It’s standard operating procedure until it isn’t. Tomlin went out of his way to indicate that something about this offseason isn’t standard; nobody knows what that is, though.

Anything can happen in the NFL, but right now it seems like Tomlin will be coaching the Steelers in 2024, despite his strange departure from his postgame press conference. But beyond the 2024 season, things seem to be up in the air. Tomlin only has one year left on his deal, so it’s fair to wonder whether there’s an issue that has popped up in the negotiations that he knows about.

Could Tomlin and the Steelers be bickering over the terms of a new deal? Or to take it a step further, could the Steelers have indicated they would move on from Tomlin after his contract ends? The first option seems more likely than the latter given that, again, Pittsburgh has remained a playoff contender in recent years, but you can’t exactly rule out the latter at this point either.

Even as he reassures fans, and his own team, that he will be sticking with the Steelers, Tomlin has drawn quite a few eyes on himself and his future with Pittsburgh simply by refusing to answer a question about his future. Maybe it’s nothing, and he was just not looking to discuss the subject after a tough loss, but there’s also a chance that it’s a signal that not all is well for him and the Steelers. There will be more clarity on this situation soon, but for now, Mike Tomlin has made his status worth watching over the next few days.