INDIANAPOLIS — The late-season rumors about Mike Tomlin leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers with a year remaining on his contract turned out to be unfounded.

Tomlin’s longtime rival in the AFC North didn’t believe the speculation anyhow.

Like a lot of people, John Harbaugh didn’t think Tomlin was going anywhere, and he also couldn’t envision the Steelers being coached by anyone else.

“No and no,” Harbaugh said Tuesday at the NFL Combine when he was asked about each scenario. “No and no. I have much respect, much love for coach Tomlin, for the Steelers organization, for the players.”

Tomlin, who remains in the final year of his contract but is expected to receive an extension, is the NFL’s longest-tenured coach, having spent 17 seasons with the Steelers. Harbaugh is right on his heels, having joined the Ravens in 2008, a year after Tomlin’s arrival in Pittsburgh.

Harbaugh talked of the 1987 season that he spent at Pitt as tight ends coach and marveled at monstrous running back Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, father of Walter Payton Man of the Year winner Cameron Heyward.

“First guy ever, 300-plus pounds to lead a BYU defensive back down the sideline and run another 40 yards for a touchdown,” Harbaugh said of the elder Heyward. “I think (Cameron) epitomizes them now as well, their tradition. So, I would say exactly ‘no and no’ to both those questions (about Tomlin).”

Like Tomlin, Harbaugh has won one Super Bowl title. Like Tomlin, it’s been more than a decade since he has coached in the biggest game. The Ravens’ last appearance was after the 2012 season.

Still, the Ravens have stood by Harbaugh the way the Steelers have with Tomlin. Harbaugh survived a three-year stretch from 2015-17 when Baltimore didn’t reach the playoffs, and he is 2-5 in his past seven playoff games, including a 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the most recent AFC championship game.

“We’ve looked at franchises like the Steelers over the years and always had an admiration for the way they conducted business,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said. “Obviously, we are bitter rivals, but we believe continuity is critical to success in many different ways.

“From a coaching staff, the system is in place from the offense, the defense, having the same schemes. Players having the same coaches year after year is critical, and from a scouting perspective, building out your processes and the way you scout players, having the same scouts evaluating players every year, we believe it’s critically important to our success.”

Brotherly love

Terry Fontenot arrived in Atlanta as Falcons general manager Jan. 19, 2021, four days after Arthur Smith was hired as head coach.

Smith was fired last month after three consecutive 7-10 finishes but quickly found work with the Steelers as offensive coordinator. Fontenot remains with the Falcons and now is working with a new head coach in Raheem Morris.

“I love Arthur Smith,” Fontenot said. “We were like brothers. We had a real collaborative relationship. We’re rooting for him going to Pittsburgh.”

Fontenot thinks Smith can get the Steelers offense back on track after the Matt Canada regime.

“If you’ve spent any time with him, you can tell right away he’s a smart guy and all he’s worried about is making that football team better,” Fontenot said. “I’ve talked to coach Tomlin the last few weeks. I know they are going to have a really good relationship and do everything to make that team as good as they can be.”

Moon landing

At his media availability, DeCosta talked glowingly about outside linebacker Jeremiah Moon, whom the Steelers acquired on a waiver claim. Moon was waived during the postseason, and the Steelers were awarded the claim after the Super Bowl was completed.

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Moon spent two seasons in the Ravens system after going undrafted out of Florida in 2022. After spending a year on the practice squad, he appeared in eight games for the Ravens last year and made contributions on special teams and defense.

“Jeremiah is a very hard-charging guy, he’s good on special teams,” DeCosta said. “He’s a developmental outside linebacker, strong and physical, has a great attitude. I think he’s going to have a great career.”

Moon will head to training camp trying to earn a spot on a roster that includes backup Nick Herbig.