Mike Tomlin won’t be the Bills’ next head coach. Here’s why
- The Buffalo Bills fired head coach Sean McDermott following a postseason loss to the Denver Broncos.
- Mike Tomlin, who coached the Pittsburgh Steelers for 19 seasons, is not expected to coach in 2026.
- The Steelers control Tomlin’s contract rights for two more years, requiring a trade for another team to hire him.
- Speculation linking Tomlin to the Bills is considered illogical due to timing and contractual complexities.
Sean McDermott and Mike Tomlin are already connected by an alma mater, the two collegiate teammates at William & Mary.
But no, Tomlin will not be the next head coach of the Buffalo Bills, as the team fired McDermott on Jan. 19, two days after yet another heartbreaking postseason defeat, this time in overtime to the Denver Broncos.
For one, NFL Media reported, as has been common knowledge by this point, that Tomlin does not plan on coaching in 2026 and taking the year off. Perhaps he has designs on working in television or consulting or another endeavor to occupy his time. It almost surely won’t be in a full-time role on the sidelines, especially as the head coach of a NFL team.
The Pittsburgh Steelers – the team Tomlin coached for 19 seasons – control his employment rights for another two years. Should another NFL franchise, like the Bills, want to enlist Tomlin’s services prior to the expiration of his current contract, it would need to work out a trade for him. Recent examples include the Denver Broncos acquiring Sean Payton from the New Orleans Saints for Denver’s first-round pick that year (2023) and a 2024 second-round selection. Bill Belichick wound up as head coach of the New England Patriots only after the Pats parted with a 2000 first-round pick, among other pick exchanges between New England and the New York Jets.
Whether the Bills are willing to provide that type of compensation is unknown. Same for whether Tomlin is intrigued by the idea of going from perpetually searching for a franchise quarterback to coaching one in Josh Allen. But because of the timing and the intricacies involved, the connecting of dots between the two parties is illogical.
