Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is reportedly expected to return for the 2024 season despite speculation he could step away from the franchise.

"I just checked in with a source close to Mike Tomlin who said they would be very surprised if Tomlin is not back next year," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said Tuesday on SportsCenter. "That last night was probably a moment for him coming off the game just 10 minutes prior, was heated, immersed in the loss in the playoffs, and probably wasn't in the mood to talk about his contract situation.

"Of course, he's got one year left on his deal, and there's certainly a possibility here they could negotiate a contract extension here in the near future. So, the people I've talked to close to Tomlin feel pretty good about him coming back. They say he was born to coach football, loves to do it, hasn't seen any sort of slowing down in that regard. So, 10 wins with a difficult quarterback situation, it seems like it's lining up for him to return but we'll see if somebody has a change of heart."

Tomlin has coached the Steelers for the last 17 seasons, amassing a 173-100-2 record. Pittsburgh has never had a losing season under Tomlin, a streak that continued with a 10-7 mark in 2023.

Alan Saunders @ASaunders_PGH

Mike Tomlin, asked about his future after the <a href="">#Steelers</a> playoff loss, walks off the podium. <a href="">

With Tomlin having to do yeoman's work to coach up lackluster rosters in recent seasons, there has been some speculation either he or the team would look to move on. Tomlin walked away from his press conference following Monday's Wild Card Round loss to the Buffalo Bills when he was asked about his contract, which has one year remaining.

The Steelers have long been a franchise that has prided itself on stability, particularly when it comes to the coaching staff and front office. Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Tomlin have been the franchise's only coaches since the beginning of the 1969 season, and current general manager Omar Khan is only the fourth GM since 1971.

The strategy has been an unquestioned success. The Steelers are arguably the most consistent franchise in NFL history, posting only seven losing seasons in the last 50 years.

That said, consistently winning football has not translated to the playoffs in recent years. Pittsburgh has not won a playoff game since the 2016 season and has won the AFC North only once in the last six years.

It's fair to wonder whether the Steelers might benefit from a different voice leading the locker room. Or, perhaps Tomlin might look for greener pastures himself with pressure seemingly mounting.