With the Pittsburgh Steelers crashing out of the playoffs in rather embarrassing fashion again, going one and done once again, the frustration is at an all-time high in Pittsburgh with coach Mike Tomlin and the lack of postseason success for the Black and Gold.
Though the expectation is that the Steelers won’t make a change at head coach, former Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson laid out an unorthodox trade between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys.
Johnson proposed a swap of Tomlin for Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy on the FOX NFL pregame show.
“I’ve got no inside information. But things are stale in Pittsburgh. Things are stale in Dallas. How about a coaching swap? Mike McCarthy’s a Pittsburgh guy. Let him go to Pittsburgh. Let Mike Tomlin go to Dallas. Both franchises would be excited,” Johnson said, according to video via FOX.
McCarthy is a Pittsburgh guy, having been born and raised in the Greenfield community of Pittsburgh. It’s always been a special place for him, and it’s still home to his family today. In his career against his hometown team, McCarthy is 2-4, including 1-3 during his tenure in Green Bay, and 1-1 in his tenure in Dallas.
That one win in Green Bay over the Steelers came in Super Bowl XLV, fittingly in Dallas.
On the surface, Johnson’s proposed swap makes sense. The Cowboys would get the big-name coach who is revered around the NFL and is ticketed for the Hall of Fame. He’s also coming off recently signing an extension with the Steelers, which he signed in June for three additional years.
In return, the Steelers would get a hometown guy who is experienced, has a great resume, and is an offensive mind.
However, McCarthy is on an expiring with the Cowboys. Dallas did block the Chicago Bears last week from interviewing McCarthy for their opening, and all indications point to Dallas re-signing McCarthy to remain the head coach of America’s Team.
It’s fun to talk about, but the chances of it ever coming to fruition are slim and none. From all indications coming out of the loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round, Tomlin is safe. That’s not surprising. The Steelers won’t be trading Tomlin, either, as the head coach reportedly has a no-trade clause in his contract.
So, it’s all hypothetical. While Johnson got some pushback on social media for the proposed swap, this one at least makes some sense, considering how Steelers fans feel about Tomlin in the moment, and how they’ve clamored for McCarthy in the past.
