The Las Vegas Raiders are in the midst of an extensive coaching search, as they are meeting with nearly every top candidate, and even some under-the-radar options, in this year's hiring cycle. The consensus is that the organization should target a young offensive guru to pair with potential No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.
That has not stopped them from meeting with defensive-minded or veteran coaches, however, as they appear to be covering every base. While Las Vegas is one of eight teams that are looking for a new head coach, that list could grow following the Pittsburgh Steelers' embarrassing 30-6 home playoff loss to the Houston Texans.
The rumblings that Mike Tomlin could be fired have been ongoing for several years and were validated on Tuesday in the aftermath of Pittsburgh's ninth consecutive season without a postseason victory.
Although Tomlin voluntarily left the organization rather than being outright fired, the writing was on the wall.
Fox Sports insider Jordan Schultz reported that the "belief in league circles" is that Tomlin will do media for next season and reenter the coaching market after that. Nevertheless, money talks, and so does a fresh football-related challenge. The Raiders should therefore not hesitate to add Tomlin to the growing list of candidates that they plan to interview.
Mike Tomlin could be an ideal option to turn the Raiders around
Yes, Tomlin is fresh off another blowout loss in the postseason. He has lost his past seven playoff games, with six of those losses coming by at least 11 points and five by at least two touchdowns. And yes, the Steelers defense, which has been his calling card during his 19-year tenure as head coach, was largely underwhelming in 2025, finishing 17th in scoring defense.
While those two points may be hard for some Raiders fans to overlook, there are far more positives that Tomlin would bring to the franchise. First off, he has never had a losing season as a head coach, as his 19-year stretch is tied with Bill Belichick for the second-longest in NFL history, trailing only Tom Landry. Both of those legendary coaches did, however, have losing seasons during their respective careers.
The Raiders are virtually on the opposite end of that spectrum, as they have had just two winning seasons since reaching the Super Bowl in 2002. Additionally, the franchise has not won a playoff game since winning the AFC Championship Game that year.
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Despite the down year in 2025, Tomlin has also consistently led elite defenses. Pittsburgh has finished in the top half of the league in scoring defense in 16 of his 19 seasons at the helm, including 12 top-ten finishes. Once again, that is the opposite of the Raiders, who have had just one finish in the top half of the league, ranking ninth in 2023, since 2002.
Additionally, Tomlin has not exactly had great options to work with at quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired. Still, he has managed to make the most of the situation, consistently leading the Steelers to winning records and having them in contention to make the playoffs year in and year out.
Las Vegas will likely draft Mendoza with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and already have several young weapons in place for him to work with. The 2025 Heisman Trophy winner has the potential to be the best quarterback Tomlin has had since Roethlisberger was in his prime.
Allowing the Super Bowl-winning head coach to focus on rebuilding the defense, while bringing in a strong offensive coordinator, could help the Raiders quickly turn things around. Tomlin may not be the coach that most fans want. However, it is hard to argue with his ability to get the most out of his roster.
Of course, this all depends on whether or not Tomlin decides he wants to coach again this coming season. If he does, Las Vegas should waste no time in giving him a call to see if his vision would align with what the front office has in mind.