Lack of extension doesn't indicate Mike Tomlin's seat is getting hot just yet

The Pittsburgh Steelers are big on tradition, and have traditionally extended the contracts for their head coaches (specifically Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin) when they have two years remaining on their deals.

Tomlin has two years remaining on his contract entering the 2023 season, but he has yet to get a new contract extension.

And according to a report from Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he is not going to get one at any point this year. 

Tomlin was asked about his contract status on Wednesday during the first day of the team's training camp and he did not seem to be bothered by the situation, simply saying that he hasn't really thought about it and that he is at a stage in his career where he doesn't even think about contracts at all. 

The lack of a contract might be enough to lead to some speculation on Tomlin's future job status, and whether or not he could be starting to get on the hot seat in Pittsburgh. Tomlin is entering his 17th year as the Steelers' head coach and is the second-longest tenured coach in the NFL after New England's Bill Belichick. 

It has been one of the most successful tenures in NFL history. Tomlin has led the Steelers to two Super Bowls (2008 and 2010), winning one of them (2008). He also has not had a losing season in any of his first 16 seasons. 

Having said that, the Steelers typically measure their success by what they do in the postseason, and for all of Tomlin's regular season accomplishments the postseason success has run dry. 

The Steelers have not won a playoff game since the 2016 postseason and have just three total in the 12 years since their last Super Bowl appearance in 2010. That puts them in the lower half of the league during that stretch. 

Every coach, even the great ones, have a shelf life where they start to lose their effectiveness. That lack of playoff success has led to some questioning as to whether or not that is happening with Tomlin in Pittsburgh. The lack of a contract extension at a time when one is usually handed out could lead to speculation that maybe the Steelers want to see more.

While that might be true, it is also true that the Steelers broke with that two-year rule when his previous contract was set to expire and they still ended up re-signing him anyway. 

There is a good chance that happens again here. Especially if the Steelers continue to play competitive football, whether it results in a ton of playoff success or not.