Pittsburgh Steelers Won’t Confirm Report of Mike Tomlin Extension

The Pittsburgh Steelers, known for keeping coaches around for forever, raised some eyebrows when Mike Tomlin was set to enter the final year of his contract. Coaches are usually either fired in their second-to-last season, or they’re resigned.

A coach in the final year of his deal is a bit like a lame-duck politician. Sure, they still technically have power, but everyone is looking to the next guy. NFL owners usually like to avoid this, so it was puzzling that Tomlin was still working on an old deal.

But now, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steelers have extended Tomlin’s contract by three years.

Maybe.

The Steelers have yet to confirm the report either by press release or announcing it on their website. Art Rooney, the man who did the negotiating, is apparently on vacation and not available for comment. So until he gets back, it we won’t get a confirmation on the story.

Although it should be noted that most people aren’t questioning the report. It seems to be fairly accepted, which usually means it’s true. If this were simply a rumor going out of control, it’s likely someone from the Steelers’ organization would have denied the report.

The absence of a confirmation probably just means they’re in no rush to announce anything yet.

Tomlin was thought to be on the hot-seat after a rough 2009 season, but it looks like the Rooneys were convinced enough to keep him around for at least another three years, if not more.