Santorum is young. If he intends to run again in 4 or 8 years for POTUS he needs to seriously consider doing this. In the meantime he could be actively engaged in building up some more national credentials to bolster himself for the future.
he better run for something else in between. His career is essentially over right now, unless he takes a statewide office in the next cycle. Otherwise, he will become no more than the next Harold Stassen.