Steelers insider explains if Giants could trade for Mike Tomlin after firing of Brian Daboll

Shortly after the New York Giants confirmed on Monday that they had parted ways with head coach Brian Daboll, some members of the NFL community linked the Giants with Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Tomlin signed a three-year contract extension in June 2024 that reportedly pays him around $16M per year, meaning the Steelers will still hold his rights following the ongoing season. During a Wednesday appearance on Pittsburgh sports radio station 93.7 The Fan, Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette discussed whether or not the Giants could land Tomlin's services via an offseason trade. 

Would Steelers consider trading Mike Tomlin to Giants? 

"In years past, the Steelers would never do that," Fittipaldo explained, per Ross McCorkle of Steelers Depot. "They would never even listen to the offer. They wouldn't even take the phone call. I can't sit here and tell you that it's 100 percent gonna be that way again, but I would tend to think it would be."

Rumors about Tomlin's future hovered over the Steelers last winter, even though there was never any real indication that Pittsburgh considered making a change. The Steelers have a history of not firing head coaches, as they've employed just three since 1969. 

That said, Pittsburgh hasn't notched a playoff victory under Tomlin since the 2016 season. The 2025 Steelers won four of their first five games but have since fallen to 5-4. Meanwhile, it's unclear if quarterback Aaron Rodgers will retire after this season. Pittsburgh's current QB1 turns 42 years old in December. 

Have people within Steelers lost faith in Mike Tomlin?

"I don't think they've lost faith in that building just because of a rough month here," Fittipaldo added about how the Steelers view Tomlin. "I think something really bad would have to transpire in the last two months of the season for them to even consider that. From the Steelers' perspective, I still don't think that would be in play." 

That "something really bad" could involve the Steelers losing their hold of first place in the AFC North standings. The suddenly hot Baltimore Ravens are at 4-5 and are closing in on Pittsburgh, but the Steelers will have an opportunity to earn a win over a division opponent when they host the Cincinnati Bengals (3-6) this Sunday. As of Thursday morning, ESPN BET had Pittsburgh as a 5.5-point favorite for that matchup.