The Pittsburgh Steelers have enjoyed the luxury of having consistency throughout their coaching staff since Chuck Noll was hired in 1969. Since then, there have only been three head coaches of the Steelers, and Mike Tomlin is getting ready to go into his 19th season with the job. He is highly respected throughout the league, but the fan base in Pittsburgh is getting extremely frustrated with the lack of postseason success from the Steelers. The team hasn't won a playoff game since the 2016 season, which has made a lot of fans begin to call for Tomlin's job.
Taylor Ollason / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Mike Tomlin ahead of a 2024 home game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Tomlin signed a new extension during the 2024 offseason that would keep him in Pittsburgh through the 2027 season, and it is highly unlikely the Steelers would ever fire him. Ownership doesn't like to fire someone and then still have to pay them, which is what would happen if Tomlin was terminated. Other teams around the league suspected that Tomlin's message in Pittsburgh might be getting a bit stale, and trade rumors involving Tomlin began. The Chicago Bears even called Pittsburgh about a potential deal, which Team President Art Rooney II spoke about on Monday.
"It really didn't go very far," Rooney said. "We weren't interested in really pursuing it. And so it was a pretty short conversation."
According to insider Adam Schefter, multiple teams were interested in Tomlin, but the Bears were the only team to actually pick up the phone and contact the Steelers. Chicago was not submitting an offer, but just gauging any interest. This would have been a complicated deal to navigate, as Tomlin has a no-trade clause in his deal. Tomlin would need to approve any trade he is involved in, in order for a deal to be completed.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin and Russell Wilson on the sideline during a game against the New York Jets in 2024.
Many fans probably wish the Steelers would entertain the idea of trading Tomlin. Coaching trades are rare in the NFL, but they are usually fairly lucrative. The last one to occur was with Sean Payton when he was traded to the Denver Broncos from the New Orleans Saints. Denver had to give the Saints a first-round pick while also swapping a second-round pick for a third-round pick.
This type of draft capital could have been significant for Pittsburgh. The team is usually on the fringe of the playoffs, which means it is never in the position to have a high draft pick. A trade involving Tomlin could have changed the trajectory of the franchise, likely for the better.
A trade would have also gotten ownership out of Tomlin's contract, meaning they wouldn't have to pay the guaranteed amount on the deal as it would have been the Bears' responsibility. Ultimately, the Bears wound up hiring offensive-guru Ben Johnson. The Steelers will be moving forward with Tomlin, as he will look to have his 19th consecutive non-losing season.
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Steelers Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith as he stands near Head Coach Mike Tomlin during a 2024 practice at the UPMC Sports Complex in Pittsburgh, PA.
Steelers Not Making Any Significant Coaching Changes
Another thing Rooney spoke about when talking to the media was any potential changes on the coaching staff. The team president shared that he doesn't expect any wholesale changes to be made, which is another statement that is certainly going to infuriate the fan base. The coaching staff needs some serious philosophical changes, and it is hard to do that without making some personnel changes.
It will be hard for fans to find any optimism going into the 2025 season, as it seems like it will just be more of the same. Without some serious changes to the roster during the 2025 offseason, the Steelers may be set to take a serious step back.
Do you wish the Steelers would have considered trading Tomlin? Let us know in the comments below!
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