Angry Pittsburgh Steelers fans are calling for significant change to the organization after the embarrassing loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC wild card round. But if any changes are coming to the Steelers, it’s probably not going to be them moving on from head coach Mike Tomlin.
At least that’s what ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported while appearing on his network on January 12.
“Pittsburgh hasn’t given any indication that it wants to move on from Mike Tomlin,” Schefter said, via Steelers Depot. “This has been the most patient franchise, not just in football, but maybe sports.
“When Bill Cowher was struggling at the end, and fans in Pittsburgh wanted him gone, the Rooney’s stuck with him, and he wound up winning another Super Bowl.
“There’s no indication they wanna move off Mike Tomlin now.”
Tomlin and the Steelers suffered a team-record sixth straight postseason defeat on January 11. Baltimore dominated the Steelers in every area during the first half.
The Ravens outgained the Steelers 308-59 during the first two quarters. Baltimore had 164 rushing yards and posted 19 first downs in the half while the Steelers had 19 rushing yards and two first downs.
Steelers’ Mike Tomlin Has a No-Trade Clause
Tomlin has been the subject of NFL trade rumors dating back to early last offseason. But Schefter added in his report on January 12 that Tomlin has a no-trade clause in his contract.
“Last week, we said there would be teams that would check in to the availability of Mike Tomlin, and one did. And one was told that Tomlin has a no-trade clause in his contract,” Schefter said. “So anything that would happen in Pittsburgh that would happen with Mike Tomlin would come with his consent, and his consent only.”
The Steelers, of course, could fire Tomlin without his consent. But that appears unlikely given the fact Tomlin just signed a contract extension, and Pittsburgh hasn’t fired a head coach since December 1968.
Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora stated “there’s zero chance” of Tomlin getting fired.
So, if the Steelers desire a fresh start at head coach, they’d have to trade Tomlin. But that’s complicated with his no-trade clause. If Tomlin’s relationship with the team goes sour, he could force the Steelers to fire him and then he could choose his next team. In that scenario, Tomlin still gets paid for the duration of his Pittsburgh contract.
But those are all hypotheticals.
Schefter admitted that the team’s playoff loss could encourage other NFL organizations to further pursue a Tomlin trade. But he then emphasized that the Steelers have no interest in moving on from Tomlin.
That makes him very likely to return for a 19th season in 2025.
Tomlin’s Playoff Failures vs. Bill Cowher’s Struggles
Schefter wasn’t completely accurate with his analysis of Cowher’s career (he only won one Super Bowl), but he was correct to compare the two situations.
Cowher started 5-6 in his postseason career. Then from 1998-2000, Cowher’s Steelers suffered two losing seasons and missed the playoffs every year.
During that time, the Steelers made changes along their coaching staff and brought in new quarterbacks. But they stayed loyal to the head coach.
Cowher then led the Steelers to three AFC championship game appearances from 2001-05. The team won the Super Bowl following the 2005 season.
Tomlin has gone 3-10 in his last 13 playoff games, which is obviously far worse than Cowher’s early mark. But Tomlin has never suffered a losing season, and he has a Super Bowl win in his career.
Cowher didn’t have that to fall back on in 2000.
That’s not to say change isn’t needed in the Steelers organization. They continue to suffer the same type of losses that see them start very slowly in the first halves of games because of poor game planning.
But early indications are Tomlin is going to receive another chance to get the Steelers back to winning in January.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Steelers Giving Clear Indication on Mike Tomlin’s Future: Report appeared first on Heavy Sports.