Steelers Respond To NFL Team's Trade Request For Mike Tomlin

Shortly after losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs, the Pittsburgh Steelers received a call from a team interested in acquiring Super Bowl-winning coach Mike Tomlin. It didn't take long for them to respond to that inquiry. 

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Chicago Bears expressed interest in Tomlin earlier this month. That's not a huge surprise considering the franchise is in desperate need of a coach who can build a winning coach. They've interviewed some really intriguing candidates over the past few weeks, including Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn of the Detroit Lions. At the end of the day though, they don't have Tomlin's résumé. 

So, how did the Steelers respond to the Bears? Apparently, by immediately shooting their trade request down. 

"The Bears recently called the Steelers to see if they would be allowed to talk to and potentially try to trade for longtime head coach Mike Tomlin, only to have Pittsburgh rebuff their inquiry," Schefter wrote. "Discussions never made it to Tomlin, nor is it likely they would they have been successful even if they did."

It's unlikely that Tomlin would've wanted this trade to go down anyway. When recently asked what his message would be to teams interested in trading for him this offseason, he replied, "Save your time." 

Tomlin, who has received criticism for his shortcomings in the playoffs, has made it clear that he wants to win in Pittsburgh. 

"The attention and criticism that comes with that. As a matter of fact, I embrace it. I enjoy the urgency that comes with what I do and what we do. I don't make excuses for failure. I own it. But I also feel like I'm capable," Tomlin said, via NFL.com. "As long as I'm afforded the opportunity to do that, I will continue. But I certainly understand the frustrations, and probably more importantly than that, I share it. Because that's how I'm wired. I'm not a big-time comfort seeker, and particularly in circumstances such as this, I don't view myself as a comfort provider because words are hollow. It's about what we do and less about what we say."