LATROBE, Pa. -- While a great deal of focus has been on the contract extensions the Steelers might or might not complete before the end of training camp, there are a couple of other lingering issues that could be a distraction for the team if they aren't addressed.
Those would be the contract situations of Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert.
With the Steelers reporting to Saint Vincent College today for training camp, both of those deals could be on the front burner for the team.
The situation with Tomlin has been well documented. Tomlin has two years remaining on his current deal -- which pays him around $7 million per season -- and the team typically extends its head coaches in that time frame.
The last time the Steelers didn't do that was in 2005. Bill Cowher won the Super Bowl that season, but 2006 became a lame duck year as it became a well-known secret that it would be Cowher's last with the team.
At 47 and entering his 12th season, Tomlin doesn't seem to be ready to hang up his coaching hat just yet, as Cowher was at 49 and entering his 15th season, but he does have some reasons he might not be ready to commit to a long-term deal. Tomlin's oldest son, Dino, is an incoming freshman on the football team at the University of Maryland, while his younger son, Mason, is entering his senior year of high school.
The going rate for NFL coaches also has increased since Tomlin signed his last extension in 2017.
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