The Pittsburgh Steelers were 7-4 and looking at a relatively easy schedule after a Week 12 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Disaster then ensued after horrible back-to-back losses at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots, a duo of franchises that had just two wins each heading into their respective matchups against Pittsburgh. No one believed it was possible for an angry fan base to be pushing for significant change at this point in 2023, especially after the firing of Matt Canada. However, Mike Tomlin did not have his contract extended in the offseason and an epic collapse might lead to his dismissal.
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Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin stands on the field at Acrisure Stadium while his team warms up before a 2022 preseason game in Pittsburgh, PA.
It would be rather foolish for Art Rooney II to simply fire Tomlin if the final stretch to end the season is the final straw. It makes more sense, with a year left on his contract, to potentially look for a trade partner. There are expected to be several head coaching vacancies, and desperate franchises would be more than willing to give up significant draft capital for a Super Bowl-winning coach.
Jay Glazer of Fox Sports joined David Helman on Monday to discuss a number of things, and one of those was the status of Tomlin's job and if it could be in jeopardy. The respected NFL insider is extremely confident that if word got out that the Steelers might be ready to move on from him, a number of organizations would be calling about a potential trade. One in particular stands out.
"I'm telling you, if Mike Tomlin was available, teams would be lining up. Even if he's not available yet, teams should be calling trying to trade for Mike Tomlin. Hey Washington, he's from Virginia... perfect. I'm at least giving it a shot. I'm trying for it. You gotta swing for a guy like that if he's on the hot seat."
The Washington Commanders are more than likely to part ways with Ron Rivera after a frustrating 2023 season, and overall tenure as the team's head coach. He has gone through a lot, including an ownership change, but the NFL is a results-based league and he has enough success to warrant another season as the Commanders leader. Tomlin might be the perfect fit for Washington. Someone like Glazer, who is very in-the-know, bringing up this idea gives it more credibility than in the past.
%202023%20Camp%20Final%20with%20Logos/2L9A5085-544x306.jpg "Steelers Mike Tomlin")
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Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin walks on the playing surface at St. Vincent College while his players warmup prior to a 2023 training camp practice in Latrobe, PA.
The Commanders firing Rivera could lead to an interesting situation within their coaching staff and organization. A domino effect could even help the Steelers if Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy becomes available. Pittsburgh as a whole hasn't experienced much playoff success recently, which is what the fans expect from the storied franchise.
If Tomlin and co. fail to sneak into the playoffs in 2023 and the locker room continues to spiral, Rooney II might finally decide that it's time to pull the plug on Tomlin's tenure with the organization. There has been talk about the head coach's message becoming stale over the years and former players have not been shy about calling out the current state of the Steelers.
These thoughts have been on the minds of fans for a couple years now, but the consecutive losses, at home, against two of the worst teams in the league have quickly raised an aggressive amount of concern regarding Tomlin's coaching style. Could Rooney and his front office really say no to a first-round pick (or multiple) if a team wants to go all-in on hiring a future Hall of Fame coach? It wouldn't line up with Steelers history, but nothing is off the table right now.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter / X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers President Art Rooney II roams the sidelines prior to a 2022 preseason matchup at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
Steelers' Tomlin Has The Chance To Shut Up Doubters In Final Four Weeks Of 2023
If Pittsburgh finds a way to win the final four regular season games in 2023 and get into the playoffs, Tomlin absolutely has the opportunity to shut up the outside noise if his team can finally come up with what fans have been yearning for since the 2016 season: a playoff win. It's not going to be an easy task, especially with a backup quarterback starting for most, or all, of the contests, but the criticism will continue to get loud if the Steelers continue to slide. A rare coaching trade might not be out of the question after all.
Do you think the Steelers should trade Tomlin in the 2024 offseason if the team misses the playoffs? Let us know in the comments below!
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