NFL’s longest-tenured head coach, Tomlin, plans to return to the Steelers for an 18th season, despite speculation of burnout. He expressed his passion for his job, which includes a Super Bowl ring and a seven-year playoff-win drought.Tomlin believes the Steelers have closed the gap on divisional round teams, but he doesn’t care about the degrees of suck. Pittsburgh has never finished below.500 since 2007, but has been on a treadmill since reaching the AFC title game in 2016.Tomlin plans to interview for an external offensive coordinator and prepare for the NFL draft and free agency in the coming weeks.Tomlin is entering the final year of a 2021 contract extension, despite storming off during the Steelers’ loss to the Bills. He admits he could have handled the situation better but feels it wasn’t the time to discuss his future.Tomlin’s presence during the offseason may be crucial for the Steelers, who have numerous questions to answer in the coming months. The biggest concern is quarterback Kenny Pickett, who struggled during his first full season and needed surgery. Pickett recovered but watched Mason Rudolph lead the team into the playoffs.Tomlin is confident in Pickett, praising his intangibles. However, he believes Pickett needs to show tangible progress in his third season, expressing excitement about watching him tackle the component of his game.Pittsburgh Steelers are considering bringing back quarterback Rudolph to compete with Pickett next summer, despite his potential to become a free agent in March. Tomlin stated that the team is less speculative about Rudolph’s capabilities due to his performance. Backup Mitch Trubisky is unlikely to be in the mix.The Steelers are seeking a new offensive coordinator to improve their struggling offense, which has finished in the bottom third of the NFL in points scored in the past five years. The team’s current offensive coordinators, Eddie Faulkner and Mike Sullivan, are not under consideration.Tomlin, a former Pittsburgh player, aims to help the Steelers win another championship. Despite facing disappointment in the Super Bowl, he believes he’s still up for nearly two decades. Tomlin admits to wanting to stay and improve, rather than moving past the disappointment.
