The Pittsburgh Steelers had no intentions of moving on from head coach Mike Tomlin, but that didn’t stop other teams from trying. Responding to reports that indicated the Chicago Bears called the Steelers about the possibility of trading for Tomlin, owner Art Rooney II said those conversations were brief and firm.
“It really didn’t go very far,” Rooney said of the trade talks during a 1-on-1 interview with KDKA’s Bob Pompeani. “We weren’t interested in really pursuing it. And so it was a pretty short conversation.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported earlier this month that the Bears were one of two teams to check into Tomlin’s status, with Chicago actually calling Pittsburgh to inquire. After failing to land Tomlin, they landed Detroit Lions OC Ben Johnson as the team’s next head coach. After elevating the Lions ‘ offense in recent years, Johnson was considered the biggest prize of this year’s hiring cycle.
Rooney’s comments are also consistent with Schefter’s reporting, who noted the Steelers quickly “shut down” the talks before they went anywhere. A formal trade offer was never made.
Despite the Steelers’ continued playoff drought, now up to eight years and six-straight games, Rooney is standing by Tomlin. During a media scrum shared by 93.7 The Fan earlier Monday, Rooney told reporters Tomlin’s message still resonates with players. With Pompeani, Rooney said Tomlin’s body of work gives the organization confidence.
“The bottom line is you don’t win as many games in this league as Mike Tomlin has had. He’s a good coach.”
Tomlin has done well to keep Pittsburgh consistently in the playoff hunt instead of bottoming out like many teams do after they lose franchise quarterbacks. But the inability to win a playoff game, let alone be viewed as serious Super Bowl contenders, has many wondering if the Steelers can get over the hump with Tomlin.
Rooney acknowledged coaching trades occur. But they’re rare.
“Trading coaches is not something that happens very often.”
Most recently, it occurred with Sean Payton in 2023 and Bruce Arians in 2019. But those were examples of coaches retired or out of the league, not actively coaching a team as they were shipped elsewhere. The last “true” example of a head coach being dealt was Herm Edwards in 2006, sent from the Kansas City Chiefs to the New York Jets.
Pundits love analyzing the idea of trading coaches, and Tomlin’s name has been mentioned several times in the last two years. These discussions carry far more bark than bite, and Tomlin’s seat is safe in 2025 and probably beyond.
