Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is returning in the same position in 2024 but is “looking at all components of staffing” to begin the offseason.
“I coach football. That’s what I do. I’m respectful of the position as a whole,” Tomlin said on Thursday. “I have no sense of entitlement for what I do. I try to earn it daily. I don’t ponder a lot of things, I’m appreciate of things daily and I try to work with urgency daily. I’m also on (the) go.
“I’m going to keep coming to work. I don’t spend a lot of time from a big-picture perspective, I just don’t.”
Tomlin said he would hire a new offensive coordinator and felt it was “appropriate” to look outside the organization. He said being in the final year of his contract wasn’t a concern — “security is cool, I’m not job-scared” — but the matter likely will be important because the team is hiring an offensive coordinator who will want assurances of being more than a one-year stopgap.
Steelers team president Art Rooney II told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette later Thursday that the organization intends to extend Tomlin’s contract.
Pittsburgh enters the offseason after a 31-17 loss to the Bills in the wild-card round of the playoffs. The Steelers scored a total of 29 touchdowns during a 10-7 regular season.
Finding more points became a clear focal point for Tomlin.
“I want to be versatile and dynamic. I want to score more points. I want to utilize all of our talent,” Tomlin said. “Certainly, I’m open to learning through this process.”
The Steelers are “disappointed” and Tomlin said he was assessing why this week.
“I’m not looking to seek comfort. We wanted to be world champs. The tournament is ongoing and we’re not it,” Tomlin said. “I’m not worried about checking boxes.”
Offseason agenda items are front and center for Tomlin, whose streak of not advancing in the playoffs is at seven years.
Tomlin said it turns his stomach to be making plans for traveling to scouting missions such as the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.
“It sucks, it all sucks. Not degrees of suck,” Tomlin said. “I’d rather be working. I want confetti for this group.”
Among a number of Steelers free agents, Tomlin endorsed bringing back quarterback Mason Rudolph. He also said he met with Kenny Pickett on Thursday morning and made clear it is a “huge year for him” with a competition expected for the starting role in the offseason and training camp.
Pickett enters the offseason as the starter.
Rudolph started even after Pickett returned from December ankle surgery, including the playoff loss at Buffalo. Tomlin said he congratulated Rudolph for being ready when his opportunity came late in the regular season.
“There’s a fine line between being a Pro Bowler and a backup in this business. It’s our job as professionals to be ready, to let your talents show. He did those things,” Tomlin said.
