Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stunned the football world a month ago when he walked away from the team and told interested teams he would not coach in 2026.

It remains possible that Tomlin may never return to coaching again, riding off into the sunset without a losing season in his entire coaching career.

Tomlin’s close friends Ronde Barber and Jay Glazer were told far ahead of time that he would step away after the 2025 season, with Glazer holding secrecy throughout the entire season for Tomlin.

“I think he’s done,” Glazer said on the Jim Rome Show. “He told me and Ronde Barber two years ago. He was like, ‘Hey, this is my plan. You can’t say this. Don’t show my hand. I’m telling you, you’re my guy.’ Last year, I thought he was gonna hang it up. He decided one more. I thought he was gonna be done, so until it happens, it happens. But this year, kind of Week 8, I’m like, ‘Hey man anybody that’s gonna change your mind?’ ‘Nope.’ Okay, I said, ‘Can I report it this week?’ ‘Nope.’

Glazer says that, as of right now, Tomlin is done and does not want to return to coaching, though it could change.

“I talked to him (Tuesday). He is happy being a dad. And he wants to get himself healthy,” Glazer said on Nightcap. “Now let’s see what happens in a year, two, three. Right now, his mindset, ‘I’m done.’”

The Steelers hired Mike McCarthy to replace Tomlin, and hold his rights through the 2027 season as per his contract. If he decided to return after the 2027 season, Tomlin would be free to sign wherever he wishes.

Either way, it certainly seems entirely possible the NFL has seen its last of Tomlin as a coach.