Mike Tomlin has jumped on the coaching carousel, though he may be there for quite some time. Steelers fans won't forget where they were when they heard the news of Tomlin's decision to step down. In leaving Pittsburgh, Tomlin has signaled the end of one era and the beginning of another. His departure is a national storyline, and the next few weeks will determine if history is kind to the Steelers – or its fanbase – for running him out of town.
But Tomlin's surprise announcement also distracted NFL fans from a rather busy start of the week. Sure, nothing will beat the longest-tenured coach in football voluntarily leaving his post, but there's still plenty more to catch up on.
All the NFL Rumors you missed
- How much money did Mike Tomlin leave behind with the Steelers?
- Lamar Jackson and the Ravens could negotiate a new contract soon
- JJ McCarthy's future with the Vikings is in question
How much money did Mike Tomlin leave behind with the Steelers?
But before we dive into other news and notes around the NFL, we must start with arguably the biggest story in sports. Tomlin has left the Pittsburgh Steelers, and will reportedly take a year off before he considers jumping ship to another NFL team. As for Pittsburgh, they must hire a new head coach for the first time in two decades.
Tomlin needed a fresh start. While the Steelers players still love him – and many of them were heartbroken when Tomlin broke the news to them on Tuesday – his product had grown stale and the fanbase was unhappy. 19 straight winning seasons is nothing to sneeze at, but Tomlin has lost his last seven playoff game, tying former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis.
Per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tomlin left $50 million on the table from the Steelers to leave and chart a new path.
Tomlin had two years remaining on a contract that was paying him approximately $50 million https://t.co/OZrXz8U86i
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) January 13, 2026
I'll never criticize someone for putting their health above their job. Coaching the Steelers is a major responsibility and if Tomlin isn't up for the gig anymore, then he did the right thing. However, the most important bit of information in the above report is that Tomlin remains under team control for the next two years. That means any team that wants to hire him will have to make a trade with Pittsburgh.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens could negotiate a new contract soon
From Pittsburgh to Baltimore. The Ravens chose Lamar Jackson over John Harbaugh, electing to fire the second-longest tenured head coach in the NFL after missing the postseason. Harbaugh's Ravens were one Tyler Loop 44-yard field goal away from being in Pittsburgh's position on Wild Card weekend – hosting the Houston Texans in a playoff game.
Nonetheless, the Ravens have a busy offseason ahead of them. Replacing Harbaugh as well as offensive coordinator Todd Monken is at the top of their list, but general manager Eric DeCosta mentioned on Tuesday that they hope to extend Lamar Jackson, as well. Jackson's current deal comes with a $74.5 million cap hit in 2026 and 2027. That won't leave the Ravens with much room to add in free agency or via trade.
Season | Cap hit |
|---|---|
2023 | $22.15 million |
2024 | $32.4 million |
2025 | $43.5 million |
2026 | $74.5 million |
2027 | $74.5 million |
Jackson is a two-time MVP who is also his own agent. That makes him particularly tough to negotiate with, but DeCosta has been through this one time before.
"We do have a nice little nest egg; it's not as much as we'd like," DeCosta said. "A deal with Lamar would give us the ability to be more active to re-sign, probably more players on the team, and potentially go after a couple big-ticket items."
A new deal is also in Jackson's best interest, as the Ravens could void his contract after the 2027 season and incur $35 million in dead cap space. Any negotiation should start with more security for one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
JJ McCarthy's future with the Vikings is in question
When asked whether JJ McCarthy would be the Vikings starting quarterback in 2026, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah didn't give a concrete answer. Yet, Adofo-Mensah did say that he believes McCarthy has the goods to take the Vikings where they need to go, which is notably the playoffs.
"I want the Vikings to achieve our goals, and I think one of those goals is to make playoff runs," Adofo-Mensah said. "The way we've set this team up, we've built this core to really, like we've always talked about, give ourselves multiple shots at it because you never know when there's going to be a year where the field feels a little bit wide open and you can make that run. And so that's what we're really focused on, talking about whether it's this year or next year isn't really my immediate reflection. It's my job to really bring that deep competitive room that we've talked about to the Vikings."
When it comes to JJ McCarthy, the Vikings fanbase has gotten truly pathetic.
— Cam (@42Cyc) January 6, 2026
Not every QB is going to be elite year 1. Completely giving up on a QB that shows you immense potential is crazy.
The amount of "fans" bashing him at every chance is just sadpic.twitter.com/tRb10vaDOA
Adofo-Mensah is smart not to commit to McCarthy long term just yet, as he struggled in his first full season as the starting quarterback. While there aren't many top-tier starting quarterbacks available via free agency or trade, that could change in the blink of an eye. Heck, the Vikings almost signed Aaron Rodgers last offseason. Who's to say he won't want to pair up with Kevin O'Connell again in 2026, should he play at all?
McCarthy isn't a finished product. We all know that, but his lack of development in what's now his second season (though he missed his first due to injury) is a bit concerning. Don't be surprised if Minnesota brings in some veteran competition to prompt a training camp battle.