Sources - Mike Tomlin tells Steelers he'll be coach in '24 - ESPN

PITTSBURGH — Mike Tomlin told Pittsburgh Steelers players and coaches Tuesday that he plans to coach the team in 2024, a day after he walked out of a news conference when asked about his contract, sources told ESPN.

Tomlin, who has a year left on his contract, has given no indications of wanting to step away in recent weeks, a source close to the situation told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, and Tomlin «just wants to coach football.» The source added that contract extension talks could intensify this offseason.

A day after the Steelers' wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills, defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, the longest-tenured Steelers player, voiced his support for Tomlin and strongly rebuffed the speculation around his coach's future.

«I'll just say this about Mike T, why are we so concerned with somebody who has a year on their contract, has been locked in and has wanted to just play, coach football?» Heyward said. «We don't ask anybody else if they need to come back for another year or anything else. I just think it's doing him a disservice. This guy's been locked in from the very get-go, but yet we're worried about if he's coming back or not. He's been locked in, and I appreciate it because that's only created more dissension for players and coaches.

»We just want to focus on one goal. He wants to focus on one goal, and I just think that's fair to him. I think everybody likes to talk about, 'Oh, he might take a year off. He might do this. He's only got one year.'

«I just think, why would he answer a question like that? He's worried about trying to win a playoff game and then last night we just lost a big playoff game. Why does he need to address that now? That's not the time or the place and I appreciate the question, but I