Despite never having a losing season in his 17 years as the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin has been frequently linked to trade rumors and college jobs over the last few years. Tomlin famously shot down the USC rumors in 2021, stating “Never say never. But never. OK.? There’s not a booster with a big enough check.”
General manager Omar Khan appeared on the Jim Rome Show Wednesday and declared that he wouldn’t trade Tomlin for anybody. He also said that Tomlin’s fire for the job hasn’t changed at all.
“No, I’m not. I wouldn’t trade him for anyone,” Khan said when asked by Rome if he’s worried that Tomlin is losing his fire. “I’ve said this time and time again, I’ve never met a person who has a greater passion for the game of football than he does. And every single day, I assure you it resonates with everyone in this building. Coach Tomlin is awesome.”
There had been speculation from national media that Tomlin could look to step aside after the 2023 season, but that obviously didn’t come to fruition. Tomlin will return as the Steelers head coach for the 2024 season, and is expected to have his contract extended at some point this offseason.
“I expect to be back and I would imagine that those contract things are going to run their course,” Tomlin said at his season-ending press conference in January. “Art and I have a real good, transparent relationship. We communicate continually, often. I don’t imagine it’s going to be an issue and I imagine it’s going to get done in a timely manner at the appropriate time.”
This past December when the Steelers were in the midst of a three-game losing streak, speculation ran rampant that Tomlin could be traded to the Washington Commanders.
Ed Bouchette, the longtime Steelers beat writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Athletic, said that the Steelers should look into trading their 17-year veteran coach instead of firing him.
“Those who want to see the Steelers fire Mike Tomlin are short-sighted,” Bouchette wrote on X. “If they really wanted to move on they can TRADE him. He has value.”
Bouchette went on to list the Commanders as a potential landing spot for Tomlin. Tomlin has been connected to the Washington job in then past. Tomlin, a Hampton, Virginia native, grew up about three hours from the DMV. Additionally, new Washington owner Josh Harris was former a Steelers minority owner.
Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, who’s close friends with Tomlin, also suggested that the Commanders should try to trade for Tomlin.
Through all the speculation, Tomlin went on to lead the Steelers to three straight wins to end the regular season and a wild-card berth against the Buffalo Bills, which they lost 31-17.
At the NFL owner’s meeting in Orlando in late March, Rob King of Steelers.com asked Tomlin about coaching the Steelers for the foreseeable future. And Tomlin gave an answer that suggests he has more fire now than ever.
“Absolutely. I love what I do. I love where I do it. I love who I do it with. I answer that question rather easily, to be quite honest with you,” Tomlin said. “Certainly, we have things like contracts and things to address. But just in spirit, in terms what I do, the energy I bring to what I do, the desire to step out of that car every day and step into that facility, it hasn’t waned in any way. If it’s done anything different, it has intensified.”
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