Mike Tomlin to the Ravens? 'Holy s–t. Wouldn't that be awesome?'

Bennett Conlin, The Baltimore Sun on Jan 13, 2026

Published in Football

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BALTIMORE — Mike Tomlin is out in Pittsburgh.

The longtime Steelers coach is leaving the organization after 19 seasons, it was announced Tuesday. The news broke during the Ravens’ end-of-season news conference focused on their firing of longtime coach John Harbaugh, and The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston shared the AFC North development with owner Steve Bisciotti.

“Is it official?” Bisciotti asked.

“That’s what I keep hearing,” Preston said. “So, is he a candidate here?”

“Holy s–t, Mike,” Bisciotti said. “Wouldn’t that be awesome?”

The room erupted in laughter before Bisciotti delivered another quip.

“Only if John takes the Pittsburgh job,” Bisciotti said. “Wow, wouldn’t that be interesting.”

Tomlin’s specific situation might stop Ravens fans in their tracks before they pull up Photoshop and start making edits of Tomlin in Ravens gear. NFL network reported that Tomlin might take a break from coaching in 2026, and The Athletic reported that TV networks are interested in bringing Tomlin into their respective studios next season. Most importantly, since Tomlin officially stepped down from the organization — he wasn’t fired — the Steelers still hold his rights through the 2027 season.

Pittsburgh could trade Tomlin, if he’s interested in coaching elsewhere. The Saints traded Sean Payton and a 2024 third-round draft pick to the Broncos in 2023 for a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 second-round selection. Payton led Denver to the No. 1 seed in the AFC this season.

It’s one thing for the Saints to trade a coach to the Broncos, but two AFC North rivals making that move would be more surprising.

If interested in taking a new job in the next two seasons, Tomlin would draw major interest across the NFL. He’s a Super Bowl champion, and he never posted a losing record during his 19 years in Pittsburgh. And while Harbaugh is 63 years old and a top candidate for openings this year, Tomlin is a decade younger.

“I love Mike,” Bisciotti said. “I’ve admired Mike for 18 years.”

Tomlin’s departure exacerbates a changing AFC North. Not only are Tomlin and Harbaugh leaving their franchises, but the Browns also fired Kevin Stefanski after the season. Bengals coach Zac Taylor is the only AFC North coach expected to return to their franchise for the 2026 season.

While Tomlin likely isn’t a serious candidate to take over the Ravens in 2026 because the Steelers hold the rights to his contract, Stefanski could be a real option. He took the Browns to the playoffs twice in five seasons, and Bisciotti said Tuesday that he won’t rule out a previous head coach with a losing record.

“I’m telling you, we are keen to their circumstances, and we won’t let their first shot at the job influence us negatively for this one,” Bisciotti said.

Regardless of who Baltimore hires, the past 10 days have guaranteed the AFC North will look far different in 2026.