Steelers First Mike Tomlin Trade Partner Has Emerged

Uncertainty Surrounding Tomlin's Contract Situation

Pittsburgh would greatly benefit from trading Tomlin's contractual rights if he is hired and reaches an agreement with another team in the future.

Sean Payton retired following the 2021 campaign with the New Orleans Saints and spent the 2022 season working for FOX Sports.

Then, in January 2023, the Denver Broncos hired him and struck a trade that sent the team's first-round pick that year plus a 2024 second-rounder to New Orleans for Payton and the Saints' 2024 third-rounder.

According to a report from Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio earlier this month (per 93.7 The Fan's Andrew Fillipponi), however, the Steelers wouldn't net any compensation for Tomlin if he does coach in 2027 because the terms of his contract with the organization expire after this upcoming season.

When Tomlin stepped down, his deal ran through the 2026 campaign with a team option for 2027.

With the uncertainty of the specifics of his contract with Pittsburgh and whether or not it froze once it stepped down, which would allow the organization to trade him down the line, it's unclear how the situation will ultimately play out.

What a Potential Tomlin Trade Could Look Like

The Athletic's Andrew Marchand stated that NBC backloaded Tomlin's contract as a means of attempting to convince him to stay with the network over taking another head coaching job, which adds another potential wrinkle into the mix.

In a world where Tomlin returns to coaching and a trade is on table for the Steelers, though, a first-rounder plus a Day 2 pick, much like New Orleans received for Payton, would have to be the bare minimum return.

Pittsburgh could even push for a second first-round pick and have that asking price met considering the amount of interest Tomlin will attract coupled with the fact that he'd have a strong chance to become the highest-paid coach in the league.

Whether it's the Jets or another team, the Steelers could receive a haul of assets and then use them to aid their pursuit of a franchise quarterback in the 2027 NFL Draft, which is stacking up as a particularly promising class at the position.