For the first time in 19 years, Mike Tomlin is not the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the entire league, including the Buffalo Bills, is about to feel the seismic shift set to take place after the change.
Tomlin stepped down, and the language NFL Insider Ian Rapoport used would suggest that Tomlin might not jump right into his next job right away. But until the 2026 coaching carousel stops spinning, football fans everywhere must keep a watch on what Tomlin decides to do.
For the Bills, they have to hope that Sean McDermott’s old buddy from William & Mary stays out of the AFC East.
Buffalo Bills don't want the headache of Mike Tomlin in the AFC East
With Tomlin available, the Bills look to the vacancy in Miami as a looming threat in the AFC East. The Dolphins had eyes set on John Harbaugh to the point of firing Mike McDaniel well after Black Monday. As such, there’s no reason to believe that the Dolphins won’t ring Tomlin in hopes they could land him.
In a similar vein, the New York Jets, while verbally committed to Aaron Glenn, could make a similar move for Tomlin. After all, the Giants are in play for Harbaugh and could be interested in Tomlin, too.
While Tomlin’s last nine seasons in Pittsburgh all ended in unceremonious and often embarrassing fashion, he remains one of the league’s most respected figures. The Jets aren’t the only team that might consider firing its current coach if it feels it could land Tomlin.
READ MORE: Buffalo Bills roster outlook for 2026: Evaluating the core after a Wild Card win
A slight sigh of relief for Bills fans is that, because Tomlin stepped down rather than being fired, the Steelers still own his rights. Tomlin’s contract runs through 2027, with an option that would have to be picked up in March. Otherwise, Tomlin won’t be a full-fledged free agent until next offseason.
Still, if Tomlin opts to sit out of football for a year and come back, the Steelers would be positioned to trade him to his next home. That route exists for Pittsburgh today, too. But Bills fans have to be thinking in the back of their head about the Jets' future. If Glenn’s Jets have another stinker season like 2025, they’d be a prime candidate to sell the farm for Tomlin next offseason, too.
While the idea of McDermott having a friendly in-division rival sounds like a great NFL storyline, Tomlin’s track record, while scarred, is much too impressive to take as a positive in Western New York. The Bills don’t want Tomlin in the AFC East, but all they can do is sit back and watch the events unfold as they may.