Story byBryce LazenbyWed, January 14, 2026 at 5:24 AM UTC·2 min readMike Tomlin rumored to be a "top" candidate for AFC head coaching job originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Mike Tomlin shocked the NFL world by stepping down from his role as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTomlin had been the head man in Pittsburgh since 2007, won a Super Bowl, and never had a losing record with the team. However, the team failed to advance in the postseason again this season, and it seems like it's time for a change. There has been some speculation that Tomlin could take a year off, similar to what Mike Vrabel did after splitting with the Titans.