Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

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.

As speculation regarding the 2024 coaching cycle continues to heat up, Mike Tomlin‘s name has been mentioned amidst questions with respect to his job security. A recent report indicated the Steelers were not interested in making a change on the sidelines, though, and further signs continue to point that way.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports the Steelers “have no desire” to move on from Tomlin, adding that they “have no reason to think” the 51-year-old is interested in anything other than continuing his tenure in Pittsburgh. Tomlin is currently under contract through 2024, after the team did not repeat its pattern of agreeing to two-year extensions every other season to avoid lame duck situations.

Florio notes the Steelers plan to extend Tomlin before the start of the 2024 campaign, a move which would keep him on the books for years to come. He adds that the former Super Bowl winner has already been “directly involved” with roster decisions affecting 2024 and ’25, another sign of his continued commitment to the organization. Tomlin has come under fire this season in particular with offensive struggles being a consistent issue.

That resulted in the mid-season firing of offensive coordinator Matt Canada, although interim replacement Mike Sullivan is not expected to have a chance to earn the full-time role. At least one signficant change will therefore take place in the near future, and a number of major decisions (such as the viability of Kenny Pickett as a long-term answer at the QB position) will need to be made this offseason. Tomlin appears set to be at the heart of that process.

Pittsburgh has famously never had a losing record during his tenure, something which is at risk in his 17th season at the helm. The Steelers enter today’s contest on a three-game losing streak dropping them to 7-7 on the year and putting them in danger of missing the postseason. Failing to win a playoff game this year would extend the team’s drought in that regard (which dates back to 2016) even further.

Three coaching vacancies are in place at the moment (Raiders, Panthers, Chargers) and Florio adds that trade interest for Tomlin could exist depending on how the 2024 hiring cycle plays out. If he and the Steelers have their way, however, their relationship will continue into the future.