For years we've teased a question so outrageous nobody had the nerve to discuss: what if the Pittsburgh Steelers traded Mike Tomlin? Trading a Super Bowl-winning head coach who's never had a losing season seems like a ludicrous thought on the surface, but the idea isn't nearly as wild as it appears.
Recently, ESPN Insider Adam Schefter said he believes 'there will be teams out there' who will wonder whether they should call the Steelers to see if Coach Tomlin could be available for trade this offseason.
While trading head coaches is rare, it does happen on occasion. In 2023, Sean Payton, who won a Super Bowl with the Saints, was traded to the Denver Broncos. Now after hitting rock-bottom, Denver is a playoff team. Herm Edwards, Jon Gruden, and Bill Belichick are also former head coaches who have been traded over the past 25 years.
So why would the Steelers want to trade Mike Tomlin?
The answer is simple: we've reached a stalemate in Pittsburgh. As good as Tomlin is at ensuring his team doesn't play poorly enough to record a losing record, this team hasn't even had the scent of a Super Bowl contender since 2017. This is evidenced by their eight-year drought without a single playoff win.
Steelers must start fielding calls for Mike Tomlin trade
Mike Tomlin's tenure with the Steelers could be coming to an end soon. The long-time head coach signed a three-year extension with the team last offseason, but Tomlin has already outlasted the legendary Bill Cowher, and if Pittsburgh doesn't start winning postseason games, the team could move on before his contract expires.
Instead of letting another underwhelming season or two play out and have Tomlin walk away from the team for nothing, the Steelers could make a proactive move to trade their head coach now and fetch a pretty penny for his services.
Because of his outstanding reputation, there are teams out there who would pay a high price for the head coach — perhaps a pair of second-round picks in upcoming drafts or potentially even a first-round pick. This should be more than enough for Pittsburgh to pull the trigger on moving the head coach who hasn't brought any playoff success to this franchise in nearly a decade.
With the draft capital acquired in a Tomlin trade, the Steelers' new front office duo of Omar Khan and Andy Weidl could continue to build a championship roster in an effort to become a Super Bowl-caliber team — not just a team striving to keep their winning record streak alive. In the process, Pittsburgh could hire an innovative and creative young coach who could come in to give this team new life.
Mike Tomlin's no-trade clause will make things extremely difficult, as the Steelers head coach has the right to veto any trade destination that doesn't please him. Still, Pittsburgh should entertain offers and see what's out there.