For the second year in a row, the “trade Mike Tomlin” idea has come out in full force, thanks to reporting by Adam Schefter that teams have looked into the idea. Former NFL scout John Middlekauff thinks that trading Tomlin would be best for him and the Steelers, and he offered a specific proposal.
“Trade him to the Bears. Unlike some of these other situations that got weird, you don’t need to give a first-round pick. A two and a three or somehow stagger it over the course of a couple years,” Middlekauff said on The Colin Cowherd podcast. “Mike Tomlin gets a fresh start, he gets a young quarterback, and the Steelers can use their infrastructure of the organization, go hire [Lions offensive coordinator] Ben Johnson. And be equipped to handle him, get his idea with the quarterback, change the offense.”
Schefter also added that the Steelers aren’t interested in trading Tomlin, and while that could change, it’s not something that makes a lot of sense, especially if Pittsburgh isn’t getting a first-round pick in return. Tomlin’s lack of playoff success is a problem, but there’s no guarantee that the Steelers can find a coach who will turn the franchise into a consistent contender.
Tomlin’s someone that players want to play for, and he’s done a great job managing the personalities in Pittsburgh’s building. The idea of trading him and hiring Ben Johnson, who’s done a fantastic job as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator, sounds well and good, but who is Johnson going to work with at quarterback?
It’s a weak draft class and the Steelers aren’t going to trade up to get a Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, and there aren’t any super exciting veterans who are going to become available. So the Steelers still wind up with a subpar quarterback situation. As far as trading for Tomlin, why would the Bears, with young QB Caleb Williams, want a defensive-minded head coach who hasn’t made the best offensive coordinator hires leading their team? Tomlin is a great coach, but he doesn’t seem to fit what the Bears are looking for, which is someone to first and foremost develop Williams, the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Chicago probably wouldn’t trade second- and third-round picks for Tomlin when they can hire Johnson giving up draft picks.
It’s just pure flawed logic from Middlekauff. The Steelers are probably better off with Tomlin than Johnson given their lack of offensive weapons, and the Bears would be better off with Johnson or another offensive-minded head coach than Tomlin. While the Tomlin trade rumors might persist, especially if the Steelers lose to the Ravens on Saturday, Tomlin has a no-trade clause in his contract, so he can decide if he wants to leave and where he wants to go. It’s highly unlikely that he goes anywhere, and if he does, it would be a real surprise if it was to Chicago.
