Another season is in the books for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and once again, they didn’t win a playoff game. Despite that lack of success, it doesn’t seem like Mike Tomlin is going anywhere. Multiple teams reportedly called the Steelers about trading for Tomlin, but it sounds like they were shut down. Jim Rooney, son of the late Dan Rooney and brother of current Steelers owner Art Rooney II, doesn’t believe a Tomlin trade will ever be on the table.
“I don’t think that’s realistic,” Rooney said Tuesday on the Ross Tucker Football Podcast. “I don’t know, so I don’t want to get too into the mechanical details of how that even works, but Mike [Tomlin] has said over and over again that he wants to coach the Steelers, and that’s what he wants to do.
“I don’t think there’s any real interest in [a trade] happening. It’s intriguing in the world we live in. We need dialogue and content all the time, but I don’t think that’s probably a realistic action.”
Tomlin has made it clear that he isn’t interested in any kind of trade out of Pittsburgh. He reportedly has a no-trade clause in his contract, so even if the Steelers wanted to move him, Tomlin would have to agree to the trade. Rooney is correct that it’s more complicated than it seems, which is probably part of why it’s unrealistic.
Based on all the information available, it feels like Tomlin will be head coach of the Steelers until he doesn’t want the job anymore. That lines up with how the Rooneys have done business since Chuck Noll was their coach. For better or worse, they’re a patient bunch.
There’s a reason the Steelers have only had three head coaches since 1969. It’s not like every year under Noll or Bill Cowher was perfect. Both of them went through dry spells as well. Cowher went three-straight years without making the playoffs. Noll had a four-year stretch where he didn’t make the postseason.
It’s likely that ownership feels comfortable that Tomlin is the best candidate to lead the Steelers back to success. They might not be wrong. The Steelers might be stuck in a rut right now, but at least they’re still making the playoffs. So many other teams would kill for that.
For as frustrated as fans are, everyone in the Steelers’ building is probably just as upset at their lack of postseason success. The Steelers didn’t become one of the best franchises in the NFL by making rash decisions, though. Tomlin will have another shot in 2025, and fans just have to hope he proves the Rooneys have placed their faith in the right person.
