Put this in the “for what it’s worth category,” but The Athletic’s Dianna Russini issued an interesting Saturday morning report. Tucked away in her weekly column, Russini dropped this line about Mike Tomlin and his future as the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, saying there’s been “chatter” about the team being willing to trade him.
“There has been chatter that perhaps the Steelers would consider trading Tomlin to Washington, Chicago, or even Carolina to get back some picks,” she writes.
What does “chatter” mean? Where is it coming from? She doesn’t expand, which definitely makes the report a little less interesting than if she pointed to a direct source. Most likely, the “talk” is coming from the outside and not from anything or anyone inside Pittsburgh’s organization. One, a trade still doesn’t seem like the most likely outcome. Two, few in the Steelers’ organization talk, and certainly not about something as heavy and impactful as this.
Still, Russini is a reporter and not just an analyst and media speculator so for her to include this in here, especially after recently confidently writing that Tomlin wasn’t going anywhere, is notable.
The rest of her blurb on Tomlin is conflicting. She concludes that Tomlin has a “good chance” of remaining in Pittsburgh for 2024 but also adds his future is “murky.”
If a trade were to happen, Washington and Carolina would be the two most logical destinations. Both are run by men who were previously minority owners in the Steelers. Josh Harris for the Commanders, David Tepper for the Panthers. Both have fat wallets willing to pay what it would cost to extend Tomlin, and both seem to be itching for a blockbuster move to shake things up. We already know FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer has mentioned Washington as a team that should be calling Pittsburgh.
Mentioning Chicago is a bit of a Wild Card, though we know they’ve long had an interest in Omar Khan, even once interviewing him for their GM job before hiring Ryan Poles. It’s clear they have respect for the Steelers’ organization.
While trade winds will swirl, the most likely outcome remains Tomlin staying in Pittsburgh. Coaching trades are rare as it is, especially for those currently coaching in a job and not situations like Sean Payton, taking a year off before getting back on the sidelines. And there’s still been no indication the organization wants to move on or that Tomlin wants out.
Perhaps the most interesting and relevant question of all when it comes to Tomlin is whether or not he’ll receive a contract extension this offseason. With 2024 the final year of his current deal, he risks entering “lame duck” status without one. But would owner Art Rooney II give Tomlin a new deal worth a lot of money (Tomlin is one of the highest-paid coaches in football), assuming Pittsburgh misses the playoffs for a second-straight season and hasn’t won in the postseason since 2016? The optics wouldn’t be strong.
What’s obvious is this story isn’t going away, especially if the Steelers’ skid continues. For the first time in a long time, there is valid uncertainty about Pittsburgh’s head coaching future. Trade rumors and “chatter” will keep popping up until the NFL fills their head coaching vacancies in late January/early February.
