Steelers Owner Reveals Truth About Bears' Mike Tomlin Chase

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Gerard Angelo Samillano | Last updated Jan 27, 2025 10:24 PM ET

The Chicago Bears are going all-in this season. After drafting Caleb Williams last season, Chicago is overhauling their system to further suit their new quarterback. Their major move this season is to hire esteemed Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as their new head coach.

While Johnson is an elite hire by the Bears, there's another option that could have been just as good for the team. There were rumors that Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was a potential candidate for the Bears' head coaching gig.

The Steelers were unlikely to give Tomlin away anyway: Tomlin is arguably the greatest Steelers coach of all time. Still, nothing was stopping the Bears from making a trade offer for the coach. However, Steelers owner Art Rooney shot down any speculation that they discussed terms for Tomlin, per Bob Pompeani.

"It really didn't go very far," Rooney said. "We weren't really interested in pursuing it. And so it was a pretty short conversation. "

The Steelers were almost never going to let Tomlin go, no matter what the Bears offered. Tomlin has led Pittsburgh to a Super Bowl win, multiple playoff appearances, and has kept the team competitive for nearly his entire career. Famously, Tomlin's Steelers have never had a sub-.500 record.

The Steelers are looking to keep Tomlin at the helm as long as possible. That being said, they have a major decision coming up with their two quarterbacks. Both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson are due for new contracts, and Pittsburgh will likely have to choose between one of the two.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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