{"id":150092,"date":"2026-02-07T16:13:41","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T16:13:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=150092"},"modified":"2026-02-07T16:13:41","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T16:13:41","slug":"mike-tomlins-ride-or-die-inner-circle-friend-just-detonated-the-nuclear-option-i-think-hes-done-the-unbreakable-steelers-coaching-icon-is-allegedly-finis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=150092","title":{"rendered":"Mike Tomlin\u2019s ride-or-die inner circle friend just detonated the nuclear option: \u201cI think he\u2019s done\u201d \u2014 the unbreakable Steelers coaching icon is allegedly finished, torching decades of loyalty and sending shockwaves through Pittsburgh that no one saw coming."},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<nav aria-label=\"articleLabel\">\n<ol id=\"articleLabel__list\"><\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pennlive.com\/resizer\/v2\/BGWUNB2WQVCZ7JNEDOJMJ5QNLI.jpg?auth=2d08e523d9e130ebf495163002052d337239fc31f0cec43a06d3f1a6d5669291&amp;width=1280&amp;smart=true&amp;quality=90\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, (max-width: 800px) 80vw, 60vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pennlive.com\/resizer\/v2\/BGWUNB2WQVCZ7JNEDOJMJ5QNLI.jpg?auth=2d08e523d9e130ebf495163002052d337239fc31f0cec43a06d3f1a6d5669291&amp;width=500&amp;smart=true&amp;quality=90 500w, https:\/\/www.pennlive.com\/resizer\/v2\/BGWUNB2WQVCZ7JNEDOJMJ5QNLI.jpg?auth=2d08e523d9e130ebf495163002052d337239fc31f0cec43a06d3f1a6d5669291&amp;width=800&amp;smart=true&amp;quality=90 800w, https:\/\/www.pennlive.com\/resizer\/v2\/BGWUNB2WQVCZ7JNEDOJMJ5QNLI.jpg?auth=2d08e523d9e130ebf495163002052d337239fc31f0cec43a06d3f1a6d5669291&amp;width=1280&amp;smart=true&amp;quality=90 1280w\" alt=\"Mike Tomlin\u2019s close friend drops a bombshell about the former Steelers coach\u2019s future: \u2018I think he\u2019s done\u2019\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during pre-game. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Houston Texans Kylee Surike | Special to PennLiveKylee Surike<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\">\n<article id=\"arc-YOMHIVKSVRBKZB5AR2R4CXQQKI\" data-type=\"article\">\n<div>\n<p id=\"4U2HJEVLS5H7NK3UVPQGLNCOK4\">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.<\/p>\n<p id=\"GUTXNKIO2NGOVJA6EVHAFWAIVY\">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.<\/p>\n<p id=\"O6SZ6JBKVZHIVEQSC7AXH5X7VI\">Tomlin\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.www.nfl.com\/image\/upload\/t_editorial_landscape_12_desktop\/league\/xixa9p2uyvwzfmylanwx\" alt=\"Blessed' Mike McCarthy grateful to be hometown Steelers' head coach,  'definitely' open to Aaron Rodgers returning as QB1\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"5U2D2WU3WBEFLBWY7QZLX4WGQ4\">\u201cI think he\u2019s done,\u201d Glazer said on the Jim Rome Show. \u201cHe told me and Ronde Barber two years ago. He was like, \u2018Hey, this is my plan. You can\u2019t say this. Don\u2019t show my hand. I\u2019m telling you, you\u2019re my guy.\u2019 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\u2019m like, \u2018Hey man anybody that\u2019s gonna change your mind?\u2019 \u2018Nope.\u2019 Okay, I said, \u2018Can I report it this week?\u2019 \u2018Nope.\u2019<\/p>\n<p id=\"25ZYR4ZOD5G6BGHGCLFKWHFE7Y\">Glazer says that, as of right now, Tomlin is done and does not want to return to coaching, though it could change.<\/p>\n<p id=\"UC3GVB2WGNCJFCJW47AUVTO4OA\">\u201cI talked to him (Tuesday). He is happy being a dad. And he wants to get himself healthy,\u201d Glazer said on Nightcap. \u201cNow let\u2019s see what happens in a year, two, three. Right now, his mindset, \u2018I\u2019m done.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"FS6DINEN6FGCXGN7YHKDQLYDM4\">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.<\/p>\n<p id=\"N6P2CZOMTVBCNAMK3NFLDXLZFQ\">Either way, it certainly seems entirely possible the NFL has seen its last of Tomlin as a coach.<\/p>\n<section data-gaid=\"_R_1n578q_\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during pre-game. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Houston Texans Kylee Surike | Special to PennLiveKylee Surike Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":150099,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-150092","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Mike Tomlin\u2019s ride-or-die inner circle friend just detonated the nuclear option: \u201cI think he\u2019s done\u201d \u2014 the unbreakable Steelers coaching icon is allegedly finished, torching decades of loyalty and sending shockwaves through Pittsburgh that no one saw coming. - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=150092\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mike Tomlin\u2019s ride-or-die inner circle friend just detonated the nuclear option: \u201cI think he\u2019s done\u201d \u2014 the unbreakable Steelers coaching icon is allegedly finished, torching decades of loyalty and sending shockwaves through Pittsburgh that no one saw coming. - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"&nbsp; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during pre-game. 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