After 19 seasons, one Lombardi, and a résumé that screams consistency, Mike Tomlin stepped away from the Pittsburgh Steelers following a 30-6 wild-card loss to the Texans. However, around the league, the reaction wasn’t that of shock, but respect.
That brings us to the question: What’s next for one of the most accomplished coaches of his generation? According to Rob Gronkowski, the answer is simple. Slow down. Log off. Find a beach.
Rob Gronkowski Maps Out Mike Tomlin’s Next Move After Pittsburgh Split
Speaking on the “Dudes On Dudes” podcast with Julian Edelman, Gronkowski weighed in on Tomlin’s future during a conversation that mixed coaching gossip with locker-room honesty.
Gronk alluded that he doesn’t see Tomlin jumping right back into the chaos of a coaching cycle, even with his rights still controlled by the Steelers due to the contract extension he signed after the 2023 season. He said, “Well, I, I think he’s going to take off a year at least. There’s no doubt about that. I mean, he well deserved. He needs to go to Cancun, go lay by the beach, you know.”
Edelman floated the craziest possible idea: Tomlin landing in the Baltimore Ravens with Lamar Jackson. Gronk shut it down fast. Too much history. Too much bad blood. Too weird to be real. Even Ravens ownership has joked that the only way that happens is if the Steelers hire John Harbaugh.
Instead, Gronk pivoted to what feels increasingly realistic. “I think Tomlin’s going to take a year off of coaching. And I truly think he’s a great fit for TV. You know, whatever station wants him, I think, you know, they would go and grab him.”
The timing, though, tracks. Tomlin exits as the winningest coach in Steelers history, tied with Chuck Noll but in far fewer games. A 193-114-2 regular-season record. A .628 winning percentage. Zero losing seasons. Ever. Those credentials carry weight, even with playoff scars.
And yes, those scars are real. Seven straight postseason losses. No playoff wins since January 2017. Chants of “Fire Tomlin” are echoing through Acrisure Stadium this season. Former players publicly questioned whether the message had grown stale.
Still, context matters. Tomlin steered through post-Ben Roethlisberger chaos, squeezed playoff runs out of flawed rosters, and kept the Steelers relevant in an AFC that keeps getting faster and louder. That’s not easy, and Gronk acknowledged it.
“It really is, man. I mean, they’re putting their their blood and sweat and tears in every single day. It’s not like, oh, hey, you know, you get the summer off here…So, I actually want to tip my hat off to Tomlin and Harbaugh for just their excellence.”
For now, Tomlin isn’t chasing wins or interviews. He’s earned the pause. Cancun, Barbados, wherever the offseason leads, the NFL will still be there when he’s ready.
