Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin isn't thinking about his future in coaching at the moment, though he at least kept the door open for a return in that regard.

During a conference call with NBC correspondents before the Steelers' Week 10 road matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football, which Tomlin will be in attendance for as part of the network's "Football Night in America" crew, he stated that he hasn't "given one iota" of thought towards returning to an NFL sideline while admitting that it is a topic of discussion that will likely pop up down the line.

"I haven’t given one iota of thought to coaching," Tomlin said. "I’m sure some of that is going to come up in the not-so-distant future. But I’ll cross that bridge when I get there."

Tomlin is a Future Hall of Famer, Even if He Doesn't Return to Coaching

While the end of his tenure with the Steelers wasn't always smooth, Tomlin's overall body of work with the franchise will undoubtedly be enough to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the future.

In his 19 years at the helm in Pittsburgh before stepping down after the 2025 campaign, not once did Tomlin finish with a losing record while compiling an overall record of 193-114-2 in the regular season.

The Steelers lost seven straight postseason games under Tomlin to close out his run with the team, but that shouldn't take away from the fact that he won Super Bowl XLIII with them in 2008 in addition to notching seven additional victories over 13 total trips to the playoffs.

Tied for the ninth-most head coaching wins in NFL history with fellow Pittsburgh legend Chuck Noll, Tomlin's legendary resume will always stand tall regardless of if he takes another job in the coming years or not.

How Tomlin's Eventual Coaching Decision Could Impact Steelers

If Tomlin does decide to jump into the coaching carousel, whether that be in 2027, 2028 or beyond, there's some uncertainty around whether or not Pittsburgh would be able to trade his rights and receive assets in return.

The New Orleans Saints were able to do so when Sean Payton stepped away after the 2021 season and was later hired by the Denver Broncos in 2023, but it's unknown if the Steelers can follow suit.

Should Pittsburgh still retain his contractual rights, it could potentially land a first-round pick (if not more) for Tomlin's services from whichever team hires him, which would greatly aid the organization's potential pursuit of a franchise quarterback.

Even if the Steelers can't trade Tomlin, his destination in the event that he returns to coaching could impact the team if he takes a job in the AFC and thus would have to face the black and gold semi-frequently.