Things have gone from bad to worse for the Pittsburgh Steelers over the course of the 2023 season. After getting blown out twice early in the season, Mike Tomlin's team found a way to bounce back and win a few close football games. But in recent weeks, Tomlin's job security has really come into question.
In Weeks 14 and 15, the Steelers had back-to-back losses against teams that were 2-10 prior to facing Pittsburgh. As Tomlin continues to struggle, we heard reports that the great Bill Belichick will not be returning to the New England Patriots for the 2024 season.
And if Belichick's job isn't secure, than Tomlin's shouldn't be either.
Most fans and analysts brush this off like it's nothing at all -- saying that Mike Tomlin will still walk away on his own terms. This could very well be the case, but now rumors are swirling that there could be more truth to this than we think.
Recently, Andrew Fillipponi shared a social media post that Steelers' insider, Ray Fittapaldo, believes there is a 50 percent chance that Tomlin gets traded during the 2024 offseason. He mentioned three teams as potential suitors: the Chargers, the Commanders, and the Panthers.
Great Steelers insider @rayfitt1 thinks there's a 50% chance Mike Tomlin gets traded this off-season. Mentions Washington, Carolina, and the Chargers as possible trade partners.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) December 14, 2023
Fittapaldo isn't the only insider to say that a Tomlin trade is a possibility. We first heard this from Jay Glazer -- who has an excellent relationship with the Steelers head coach. Now we have to wonder if this is more than just speculation and if there have been inside talks about a potential change at head coach for the Steelers.
Why would the Steelers trade Mike Tomlin?
There are more than enough reasons that a Mike Tomlin trade could benefit the Pittsburgh Steelers. For starters, Tomlin has already been here two years longer than Bill Cowher was, and things are starting to get very stale. This team has essentially gone downhill every year since a peak season in 2017.
Things have gotten so bad as of late that Pittsburgh is struggling to muster up points and their defense hasn't played with any sort of consistency. But that's not the only reason why a Tomlin trade makes sense.
The Steelers head coach is under contract for one more season. Instead of riding things out for one more year and expecting drastically improved results, Pittsburgh may be able to ship him away for a future first-round draft choice (a la Sean Payton).
For teams who have struggled for years (like the three aforementioned squads in the rumors), landing a head coach with a pedigree like Tomlin would make sense. Theoretically, he could help build the culture of an otherwise losing organization and his experience could be a plus.
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers would be able to start the hunt for a head coach who could bring new life to this dying organization. This could be a win-win for both teams involved. All good things must come to an end, and most fans agree that Mike Tomlin should be done as head coach of this team.