Once the regular season starts, the Pittsburgh Steelers don’t talk about contract extensions for players.
For coaches, a different rule apparently applies.
According to Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports, the Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin have been discussing an extension of a deal that currently is set to expire after the 2010 season.
“Even if it doesn’t get announced until after the season, both sides are very comfortable with the situation,” a Steelers source told Cole. “I think Mike feels very comfortable about what the Steelers are going to do for him. He’s not out there hanging, not sure what’s going to happen.”
Tomlin’s success and reputation could put him in position to command a huge salary elsewhere, if he wants it. To stay in Pittsburgh over the long haul, he’ll have to accept the fact that other coaches with lesser accomplishments will be making more money than him, for pretty much the rest of his career.