Blood has already been drawn in the realm of NFL head coaches. So far, three vacancies have been created with the head coach firings in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Carolina, and two of those teams also fired their general managers. According to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, there’s an expectation that four or more jobs could be open by the start of the playoffs. 
The Raiders have parted ways with Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler, while Brandon Staley and Tom Telesco were let go by the Chargers. These moves sandwiched the Panthers firing Frank Reich. There is growing unease in Chicago, where Bears head coach Matt Eberflus has amassed a 9-23 record over his first two years with the team. Dennis Allen has also failed to reach a winning record after nearly two seasons with the Saints. Nobody’s seat is as hot as Falcons head coach Arthur Smith. Even a head coaching legend like Bill Belichick may be parting ways with the Patriots this offseason.
Yet, in all this mess, one head coach who may be redeeming his reputation is Mike Tomlin. After losing four of five games before this weekend, Pittsburgh was finally able deliver a convincing win, its first of the year by more than a single possession. When Tomlin was headed toward his first season as a head coach with a losing record, there were many who thought he may be out of a job in Pittsburgh. Instead, his ability to take some of his worst rosters and still deliver more wins than losses has the Steelers considering yet another contract extension.
According to Glazer, though, Pittsburgh isn’t the only team thinking about him as a potential head coach of the future. While many teams seem to have been hoping for a stumble down the stretch that would make Tomlin available after the 2023 season, with a contract extension on the horizon in Pittsburgh, some teams have yet to give up hope of acquiring the tenured head coach. Glazer drops that a number of teams have considered trading for Tomlin.
It hasn’t been long since we last saw a franchise acquire a head coach through trade. Eleven months ago, we saw the Broncos and Saints exchange a few picks with the end result sending the rights to Sean Payton‘s contract to Denver. Bruce Arians required a small trade package from the Buccaneers in 2019. Before that, we have to go back to the 2000s and before, when names like Jon Gruden, Herm Edwards, Bill Parcells, Mike Holmgren, and Belichick were all getting dealt for draft picks. If a team was hoping to lure Pittsburgh into a trade that would relinquish Tomlin, they’re likely going to have to build quite the haul, especially now that he is a win away from extending his streak of never having had a losing season to 17 years.
If a team is going to attempt to trade for Tomlin, it’s likely going to be a team that already has a lot of strong pieces. For instance, the Chargers have a lot of working pieces but have struggled to find success. They’ve recently invested in a franchise quarterback, they have a duo of strong, veteran receivers, and a versatile running back on offense. The defense, despite laying claims to stars like Derwin James and Khalil Mack and strong contributors in Asante Samuel Jr., Eric Kendricks, and Kenneth Murray, has been one of the league’s worst units in 2023. Trading for a coach like Tomlin, who has a strong history of building defensive legends in Pittsburgh, could be the move that gets Los Angeles over a recent losing hump.
There’s even been slight chatter about the Bills organization having a bad taste in their mouths from a lack of playoff success. It seems like a long shot, especially after the Bills improved their playoff odds this weekend with their third straight win, but if Buffalo executives feel that it’s coaching that is holding the team back from a Super Bowl appearance, a trade for Tomlin may be in play.
Regardless, this post simply cracks open the seal for what is sure to be an active offseason. A potential of seven or eight job openings leaves plenty of room for such speculation. A number of impressive coordinators are sure to stake their claims on new jobs, but don’t be too surprised if the NFL’s two longest-tenured head coaches find their way to new franchises in the offseason.
So, the Bills’ lack of playoff success would see them want to trade for a coach… who has a lack of playoff success??? Who writes this stuff?
If you consider a coach with a Super Bowl ring and two Super Bowl appearances a “lack of playoff success” what qualifies as being successful?
Won his one ring with Cowher’s roster. I will give him kudos for his numerous cliches.
Cowher retired in 05, Tomlin won in 08. There are 12 players that were on both teams and 3 of them were the punter, kicker, and long snapper. Hardly “Cowher’s Roster”
I’m not taking any side in this issue but when your rebuttal stops short of mentioning just who some of the guys were, well…
-Roethlisberger
-Polamalu
– Hines
-Heath
—Casey Hampton
-Aaron Smith
-Ike Taylor
-Farrior
-Willie Parker
-Jeff Reed
Not like Cowher left the cupboard bare
The thing is is this isn’t college where the coach recruits players. This fallacy that people are saying that Tomlin inherited cowhers roster is funny. Every new coach inherits players. Siriano inherited a great OL and some defensive players.
Cowher wanted to draft Shawn Andrews over Ben but sure, give him credit for the roster building.
Damn, that line gets old. It’s as if they’re making up excuses to discredit Tomlin. Most teams would love to sniff the playoffs and have meaningful December games. With Tomlin, it’s the norm.
Tomlin to the bears and drafting Caleb and Marvin to build a new dynasty would be awesome to see
The DUMBEST cliche in Pittsburgh.
How many times did Cowher win with “Cowher’s roster”? Oh, right…the same.
And Cowher had to have a bunch of losing seasons to build that roster.
More importantly he won with cowher’s STAFF! The entire staff was intact from cowher- Colbert, Arians, LeBeau, Butler, Horton. The only change was the HC. Tomlin just rode the wave of the success. Once he got rid of Arians and lebeau he hasn’t won anything of significance. The article says he takes some of the worst rosters and wins- please!! When has he had anything near the worst roster?? He had the most talent in the league for about a 3-5 year run and made one AFC champ by beating Matt Moore and Alex smith with 6 fgs. Then got the doors blown off by NE. He’s the most overrated coach prob of all time
I’d say this is the worst roster he’s had during his time here and please, I’m not preaching that he should be fired, traded or should stay. I’m somewhere in the middle
It’s interesting that many of us—me included—applauded a lot of these additions when they were made public in the off season. And that starts with Pickett, who I thought would be good.
I guess what I’m saying is that personnel decisions on paper and in play are often two different animals. It’s a crap shoot. The o-line additions outside of Jones were largely a bust—the most glaring failure this year
Not sure I have a problem with Tomlin the coach as much as I do with him, Colbert and now Khan where personnel are concerned.
Will be interesting to see how they go about plugging many holes this off season
8-9 playoffs with none since 17 lol
Someone smarter than a Steelers fan who thinks Tomlin is the problem.
Just watching the Bills , i see a lot of careless g
Football. Josh Allen is a great player. But hes careless and the play calling is not up to his potential. I think thats on coach. Maybe its just a new POV or way of thinking but
Its easier to replace coach than it is a 40 AAV QB
He seems as if he’s trying to do too much; it appears as if he doesn’t trust his receivers or playcallers to put him in the right position, or that he’s trying to eliminate that risk by taking it onto his own plate. Allen is possibly the best quarterback in the league, or maybe the most capable of creating big plays on his own, but it appears that past failures have him forcing more plays. The coordinator was fired, and there have been injuries and drops on the offense, so I would wager that Allen is doing more to compensate mentally for those failures.
Since the HC was fired, Bills are winning games because they’re running the ball.
This is so stupid. Trading for a coach is just demonstrating a lack of imagination and no confidence in your GM to identify even one person who can be a good coach.
Cya
Tomlin isn’t going to be traded, this is nonsense.
what if it’s an Aaron Rodgers-type return?
Tomlin would look great roaming the Cowboys sideline and it makes them the odds on favorite every year if Tomlin is the coach
Like it has for the Steelers for the last 7 years?
They never be counted out of the playoff hunt. I know that you think Tomlin’s useless, you say so often, but let’s take a step back here and look at this from the perspective of a team that has even less success than the Steelers. You’re faced with the prospect of gambling on yet another unknown, or the prospect of acquiring a coach hasn’t lost more than eight games in nearly twenty years. Take Tomlin’s name out of it, and you can see the appeal.
I’m not advocating for that, but I certainly could see why a team like the Chargers, who just watched an arrogant first time coach sink his team through his own inability to make obvious right calls, would look to something more well established. I don’t think that the Steelers, for their part, would trade Tomlin, unless he really wants it and advocates for it by indicating that he doesn’t want to be there anymore. The problem with most coordinator-to-head coach hires in the last twenty years is that they don’t have near enough experience. Tomlin is the direct opposite of that issue. It’s appealing to a team who hasn’t had a five year coach in a while (not just the Chargers). For the record, the Cowboys are firmly NOT in this camp. They’re probably getting a comparable product in McCarthy anyway, in terms of production.
Way to many words for a Tomlin hater to work through.
McCarthy has done a good job this year
It was a tough loss yesterday
I would not fire McCarthy,, nor would I trade for Tomlin
I agree, Lefty. That last line wasn’t meant in a pejorative way. Both Tomlin and McCarthy have issues, and Superbowl wins (ironically McCarthy got his versus Tomlin of course) that are quite dated. However, they do normally have their teams in the hunt at least for a playoff spot. Neither are ever the person you’d consider to be the league’s best coach, and both face numerous calls for termination every year. But they’re overall in the upper tier of coaches on average, I’d say. That doesn’t mean that a change can’t be positive, but it’s a harder upgrade to make than it is from your average coach.
So when the Steelers lose, it’s the players, their injuries, etc etc…never Tomlin…but when they win, it wasn’t Mason Rudolph leading the team to victory, it was Tomlin redeeming himself and a tremendous coaching job. smh
Yeah, hilarious article. It’s easy to root for Rudolph. The kid never got a fair shot here, was told he’d compete for the starting job in training camp ‘22, by all accounts was head and shoulders above the other two guys, and landed at #3 on the depth chart. And all the while, he kept his mouth shut, worked hard and bided his time
Now, because it’s clear to everyone that Pickett isn’t the answer and Trubisky is just horrible, he’s given a start, excels, and it’s all thanks to Tomlin
Ok
Rudolph may or may not be the player we saw Saturday, but give him these last two games to show what he’s got. Let he and Pickett battle it out next summer and tell Trubisky to pack
That’s the prudent thing to do. We’ll see if the coaching genius follows suit. I’m not saying Tomlin should be fired or traded or anything else but his stubbornness often precludes him from making obvious moves
reminder that Robert Spillane is one of the best ILBs in the NFL, while the steelers scramble to fill the ILB position.
…this is in lieu of Rudolph sitting behind a bust and a kid.
And look how good Kevin Dotson has played for the Rams this season(ref: PFF). Like the Steelers couldn’t have used an All Pro OG.
Dude NEVER got a fair shot?
All he had to do was outplay a guy named Duck who is probably working at Costco and he couldn’t do it.
Then, he was given another chance and all he had to do was beat the Lions a year removed from them going winless and he couldn’t do that, either.
He’s currently their best option, but that’s faint praise and he earned his place at the bottom on the depth chart prior to this point.
Sorry, 66, but he is 6-4-1 in games he started. Meanwhile we have a chorus of fans saying that 23 starts in, Pickett needs more of a chance. Was there any difference in quality of OC’s that both guys had to deal with?
Rudolph’s biggest problem was that he had to replace a HoF QB. How often has that gone well outside of Montana and Young?
I’m not sold on Rudolph but in one game he showed much more leadership and ability than Pickett
Yeah, he’s currently their best option—you say so yourself. Give him these last 2 games to see if it’s real or an illusion and let them battle in training camp. If neither is the guy who can consistently involve their receiving corp, bring in a proven vet
Coming from someone who blames the coach every time a player fails this is sort of funny.
What a stupid article
Tomlin and Belichek are going nowhere
I agree, but it’s fair to be critical
imo my steelers bias aside ,
I think now is the time to trade Tomlin if you can get a 1st round pick or something crazy in return.
regardless of how good he is, roughly 65% of the pittsburgh fanbase has grown tired of him.
football should really be for the fans, imo.
just makes sense for Tomlin to go somewhere he’s appreciated, while giving Steelers fans a fresh look behind the wheel.
—–
.. as for Belichek, his accomplishments far outweigh Mike Tomlins’,
and I think Bill has earned the right to decide if he wants to come back for one final season in New England (with a new QB)
I just don’t see Robert Kraft getting in the way of Bills decision.
My guess is BB takes a cozy executive job in Carolina etc.
But if he thinks he can have a better ending than this year, then maybe we’ll see an encore on the wintery sidelines in New England to pass the culture to the next QB before retiring on his own terms in 2025.
I am pretty sure a coach would have more say in trade than a player. Not many players do a Jake Plummer, but I am sure a coach would be like hell no I am not coaching that team. I don’t see it happening and Steelers don’t have someone in place.
Is your point that having a say means no trade?
Business has a contract.
Business trades the contract rights to another business.
Contractor has some rights and demands a new contract and a team he likes.
What’s the problem here?
A coach will have to want to leave, Saints were going to sit on Payton’s contract. He didn’t want to coach them anymore he had to find a team he wanted to coach. Gruden wanted the Bucs and the Bucs wanted Gruden that was a mutual trade. All the others were willing, this reads like Tomlin would just be traded not entirely sure he would care to leave.
A player is one person and they just show up. A coach involves a staff, a philosophy, relationship with ownership, and a whole lot more. I don’t think it is just contract, if they don’t want to go there and their usual staff does not want to live there and work with changing the roster which can be a 3-5 year process. I don’t think they have to get traded.
Honestly trading Tomlin makes the most sense
Trade Tomlin
Use picks to build roster
Bring in offensive mind HC to help Pickett in a make or break year
Steelers job is essentially job security. How Matt Canada lasted so long is beyond all logical comprehension
If I’m an NFL coach and there’s rumors about me being traded (which is made up by the useless nfl media) I’m telling that team, go ahead trade me then I’m not coaching anywhere that coming year, it’s all about who has the most power among coaches and ownership
So if the rumors are true the Chargers will have Bill Belichick, Jim Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin in a HC rotation. I’m sure fans at the stadium won’t mind paying $100 for a hot dog and beer to make that happen.
Bears have the ability to really turn it around quickly, great position to be in, but Bears mgt usually makes the wrong decisions
We’ll see