Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is astute, committed, excellent, and a number of other adjectives reserved for leaders that inspire the people they're responsible for and instill key life lessons in those around them. He's also a great football coach.

With that in mind, there should be no question about whether or not Tomlin will receive a contract extension to stay on with the Steelers as their head coach, a position that he's held for the last 17 years. Tomlin’s current contract pays him an estimated $11.5 million in annual salary and expires after the 2024 season.

Yet, the Steelers “do not intend to extend Mike Tomlin’s contract this year,” according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Gerry Dulac.

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While “that doesn’t mean there is any dissatisfaction or pressure being applied to their 17-year head coach,” it's still a curious circumstance for one of the most recognizable and respected figures in the football world. Nonetheless, according to Dulac, “the Steelers plan to adhere to the same time frame they used when they gave Tomlin a three-year extension in 2021 — wait until he has a year remaining on his contract before giving him an extension.”

Ultimately, the Steelers “fully expect” Tomlin to remain their head coach past 2024, despite playing the waiting game.

Tomlin ranks 16th all-time in NFL regular-season wins (163) and third among active head coaches, behind only New England Patriots guru Bill Belichick (298) and Kansas City Chiefs chief Andy Reid (247). Tomlin, the second-longest tenured coach with one team (behind only Belichick) is also the only Black head coach in the NFL, a league in which over half of the players self-identify as African-American.