Long before Mike Tomlin stepped down as Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, the Packers edge rusher had told him that if he ever left his former team, Pittsburgh would be the only destination he’d seriously consider, largely because of the respect and admiration he had for Tomlin. Their recent interaction only showed that the mutual respect between the two remains as strong as ever.

“We got a spot for you … just keep coming north,” Micah Parsons said to Mike Tomlin as he shared a courtside exchange with him during Game 6 of the 2026 NBA Western Conference Finals in San Antonio. He was referencing a hypothetical move up to Green Bay to team up with Matt LaFleur.

In the video shared by The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, Tomlin also enthusiastically greeted Parsons by saying, “You just made my night!” after Parsons walked over to catch up.

Mike Tomlin recently closed the chapter on his remarkable 19-year tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers and transitioned into a new role as an analyst for NBC Sports. Now that he’s no longer on Pittsburgh’s sideline, Parsons jokingly seized the opportunity to pitch the idea of Tomlin returning to coaching. This time with the Packers, though.

Even hypothetically, bringing Mike Tomlin to Green Bay would be a difficult task for Micah Parsons, as the Packers recently signed Jon Gannon as their new defensive coordinator after former DC Jeff Hafley left to take over the new Miami Dolphins head coach. Furthermore, the Steelers still retain Tomlin’s rights as the 54-year-old is under contract for 2026 while also having an option for the 2027 season until March 1.

So, if any team tries to hire Mike Tomlin in a coaching capacity, they would need to provide the Steelers front office with the required compensation, as seen in the Sean Payton case. The Denver Broncos had to send a 2023 first-round pick (No. 29 overall) and a 2024 second-round pick to the New Orleans Saints to acquire their new head coach in 2023.

Subsequently, Steelers owner Art Rooney II also alluded that Tomlin may not take up a coaching job anytime soon.

“Mike indicated that he did not anticipate coaching, at least in the near future,” Rooney said. “I think he wants to spend time with his family and do some of the kinds of things he hasn’t been able to do for the last many, many years. If something like that comes up, we’ll deal with it when it comes up. But right now that doesn’t seem to be on his radar.”

And as for Parsons’ and Tomlin’s courtside exchange, it was just about their mutual admiration for each other. Before the Packers played the Steelers in October last year, Tomlin spoke highly of Parsons.

“He’s an alien. He’s visiting from another planet,” Tomlin said of Parsons. “All of these guys in the National Football League are talented, but there are levels to this. Some people are freaky, even among the freaks, and he is one of those guys.”

With Mike Tomlin expected to stay away from any coaching responsibilities any time soon, his focus shall remain on his new NBC role as an analyst on the network’s studio show, Football Night in America.

Now, as the 54-year-old settles into his new life away from the sidelines, the Steelers have wasted little time redefining their identity under new head coach Mike McCarthy. The franchise started this process by moving from the ‘Tomlin way’ as observed during the team’s OTAs.

Steelers immediately move away from Mike Tomlin’s methods during OTAs

After an 18-year run, the Steelers have ushered in a new era by bringing in former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy as the Mike Tomlin replacement. With the new season nearing closer by each passing day, the Pittsburgh native and lifelong Steelers fan McCarthy has already taken significant steps towards this new era for the franchise by quickly moving on from Tomlin’s methods during the OTAs.

“You could tell the difference offensively just through OTAs and just some of the schemes that they’re installing right now, and they’re still early in the process. He pretty much knows what he’s doing, offensively,” The Pat McAfee Show Steelers correspondent Mark Kaboly said on 93.7 The Fan.

This change, especially on the offensive side of the ball, was expected as the Steelers ended a 56-year-old tradition of hiring defense-minded head coaches by bringing in Mike McCarthy.

Hence, it will be interesting to see how the Steel City performs in the 2026 season. But despite moving on from his methods, it will be difficult for any new coach to completely change the system, especially after moving on from a coach who spent close to two decades with the franchise.