The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2024 season abruptly ended on Saturday after being dominated by the Baltimore Ravens. It was a pitiful showing from the Steelers that left a lot of the fan base wondering if it is time to move on from Head Coach Mike Tomlin. Some have speculated that Tomlin's voice has gotten stale in the locker room and that the organization needs to head in a different direction, but all signs point to the coach being back in 2025.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Mike Tomlin looks on as his team loses another playoff game at the end of the 2024 season.
A large chunk of the fan base has been calling for Tomlin's job, while other organizations around the league have been keeping tabs on the organization and the way the season ended. NFL insider Adam Schefter reported after Pittsburgh's Week 18 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals that teams around the league may be interested in trading for the coach, and that one team even reached out to the organization to gauge interest. No details emerged about who the team may have been, but they were told that Tomlin has a no-trade clause in his contract. Tomlin spoke to the media on Tuesday, where he was asked about the trade rumors.
"I have no message," Tomlin said. "Save your time."
The no-trade clause in Tomlin's contract indicates that he cannot be traded anywhere without giving his own approval, and his comments on Tuesday made it seem like he would not be approving any deals. It was a long shot that the organization would ever even consider moving Tomlin, but coaches do usually net a decent return.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Mike Tomlin during a loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 12 of the 2024 season.
The most recent trade involving a head coach came when the New Orleans Saints agreed to trade the rights to Sean Payton to the Denver Broncos ahead of the 2023 season. Payton had taken the 2022 season off and retired, but he expressed a desire to come out of retirement and return to coaching. He agreed to a deal in principal with Denver, but the Saints had to agree to trade his rights to the Broncos. The Broncos sent a first-round pick and a second-round pick to New Orleans in exchange for the rights to Payton and a third-round pick.
Obviously this situation would have been very different than any trade involving Tomlin. Tomlin hasn't taken a year off and hasn't entered retirement, but the return for Tomlin should be somewhat similar to what New Orleans got for Payton. Unfortunately, Tomlin has no interest in a deal of any sort, which could have landed Pittsburgh a top draft pick.
Tomlin will likely be staying put, but the rest of his coaching staff may not be. Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith has drawn interest for multiple head coaching jobs, mainly with the New York Jets and Chicago Bears. Other coaches on the staff are no longer under contract, and whether or not they are brought back will be an interesting decision.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Mike Tomlin looks on during a Week 13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2024 regular season.
Steelers' Mike Tomlin Has Many Tough Decisions To Make
Aside from coaches on expiring contracts, Tomlin will have a lot of difficult decisions to make throughout the 2025 offseason. Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin has been scrutinized heavily and has repeatedly shown he is not able to get the most out of the highest-paid defense in the NFL. Tomlin plays a hand in that, but Austin could certainly play the role of a scapegoat.
Other tough decisions include what to do at the quarterback position. The Steelers currently have no quarterbacks under contract for the 2025 season, and Russell Wilson's play wasn't necessarily inspiring over the last month of the season. The most likely quarterback that will be back on the roster in 2025 is Justin Fields, mainly because of his high-ceiling and low-cost.
What do you think of Tomlin having no desire to be traded? Let us know in the comments below!
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