The Bears continue to leave no stone unturned in their search for a new head coach. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bears reached out to the Steelers about head coach Mike Tomlin.
Specifically, the Bears asked if they “would be allowed to talk to and potentially try to trade” for Tomlin. That inquiry was ultimately rebuffed by the Steelers. The Bears apparently weren’t the only team to ask about Tomlin; per Schefter, another squad checked in with the Steelers.
While the Steelers would obviously have a major say in a potential Tomlin ouster, it sounds like the coach also has the ability to control his future. Per Schefter, Tomlin possesses a no-trade clause, so any potential suitors would face multiple hurdles if they were serious about a pursuit.
The Bears have been especially aggressive in their search for a new head coach. The team has interviewed or requested an interview with some of this cycle’s most popular candidates, ranging from hot shot coordinators like Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn to long-time head coach Pete Carroll. The team has even looked towards the college ranks, with a recent report indicating that the Bears wanted to interview Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman.
As our 2025 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker shows, the Bears have either interviewed or requested interviews with 17 candidates, and there are a handful of additional options that have been connected to the organization. Considering the team’s wide search, it isn’t a surprise that they took a swing at Tomlin. This report also indicates that the Bears wouldn’t be shy about making a trade for a HC. ESPN’s Courtney Cronin notes that Bears GM Ryan Poles was apparently sincere when he said the team would “look at all avenues to get the best coach” in Chicago.
Tomlin would represent one of the most experienced and accomplished coaching options for the Bears. He’s served as the Steelers head coach since the 2007 campaign, and he’s famously never had a losing season during his 18 years in Pittsburgh. This run has included 12 playoff appearances, including a Super Bowl championship during his second season on the sideline. More recently, the veteran coach has drawn criticism for the Steelers’ lack of postseason success. The team has made the playoffs in four of the past five years, with each of those appearances resulting in a one-and-done showing.
Yeah well that’s a good thing IMO. Bears are totally going off the deep end in this search. They missed Kamala Harris and the Pope.
Coming from someone that clearly jumped off the deep years ago.
Still trying to figure out if 16 is your age or your IQ. Still fluctuating between the 2.
Please trade for Zac Taylor. Two packs of sunflower seeds and a handful of bubble gum should do it.
Depends on what type of gum.
Sorry, Steelers fans. Many of my friends had their hopes up for a change this offseason. Both the coach and team might be better off with a change of scenery.
Mike Tomlin isnt an issue lol Hes largely the reason the havent had a losing season since hes been their HC. Ah yes sorry Steelers fans we know how hard it is to be a playoff team every year
One thing outsiders should understand…the local media here.
Almost all of them hate Tomlin and call for his firing. You can flip the dial back and forth to hear why.
But, a big part of that is Tomlin has always treated the local media with the respect they deserve (next to none) and ignored them while doing national media, so they resent him to their bones for that.
A lot of the fans are calling for his firing too not just the media.
The Steelers minus Tomlin become the Pirates… but I guess the fans and media in Pittsburgh are okay with that 🙂
Wow these Steelers fans sure have it spoiled since 1969. Just 3 coaches and each of whom have won at least 1 SB and there’s Tomlin who’s never had a losing season in 18 years!! And Steelers fans want hom gone!?!? lol Talk about being spoiled and stupid at the same time. Get a grip on reality!!
Maybe if the Bears offer Caleb Williams. Cutting Tomlin loose isn’t going to change the Steelers’ biggest problem of the last better part of a decade.
Too bad. Obtaining all of the Bears draft picks for a few years for Tomlin would have been a nice fleecing. People crowing about Tomlin’s “no losing season” like that should satisfy Steeler fans and cement him as a great coach don’t know what they are talking about. Why should any team be satisfied with that and use it as a measure that they have a great head coach? Great head coaches win championships. In two decades, Tomlin has won once and that was with a roster that Cowher built. Tomlin is considered a “players coach” because he coddles them and enables bad behavior with a lack of discipline. He has input on draft picks and the roster and hasn’t done well at either. But the Tomlin fanboys will blame the GM and everything except Tomlin.
You know who wins championships *really* consistently? Great quarterbacks.
Wouldn’t it have been smart if the Steelers had just dedicated this season to Justin Fields and maxing out his ceiling and figuring out if he could get near the Lamar/Allen/Mahomes level you need to win?
Given him the whole playbook and took the training wheels off, given that they were never going to win it all with Russ.
Now, they get to do that next season, instead.
They might think Fields needs a rebuild before they can max out his ceiling. Or maybe they don’t think his ceiling is that high. He was traded for pocket change, after all. I can see believing in him being a starting caliber quarterback, but I don’t know how you can convince yourself with a straight face that he still has a path to playing like one of those hall of fame level QBs.
The drum I beat is this…until you have one of those hall of fame level QB’s, you have to chase your best path (or paths) to one as aggressively as you can.
At present (and last year, as well) the Steelers best path to that is/was Fields.
Pickett was never going to get to that level. Russ was never going to get back to it.
Would/will Fields? Probably not, BUT…he could. He has the physical skills and is coachable. He’s their current best bet. But, he was that last year, too.
I agree that they should chase a quarterback answer, but to a point. In fairness, the team seemed to work better once Wilson came in, and Wilson looked a lot worse when Pickens was out and the line injuries got worse–which speaks to the second worst roster issue and the worst luck they had this year.
I hate that “chase”, “acquire”, “find”, a “better” QB comments. Please give names. Who is the QB that the Steelers should get. I’m not sure Mahomes is available, and Montana is too old. Every team should get Mahomes this off season, then they will be better.
I agree with your point, but parting with Tomlin won’t make that QB appear, which is my main point.
You are 100% correct. Changing coaches because they are bored would be a huge mistake. If you look at winning franchises over the past 24 years, beyond just winning a Super Bowl (Patriots, Steelers, Packers, Ravens, Eagles, Colts, Chiefs, Seahawks), have had stable head coaches and leadership. The worst teams over the past 24 years are in a constant state of change. Raiders, Browns, Jaguars, Commanders, Bears, Jets. Everyone wants to win the big game, but fans need to understand what they are really asking for if they want to be on the coaching carousel.
Totally. I remember when people were ready for Baltimore to move on from Harbaugh. They sure reset great with him when they got Lamar.
Not only that, but wasn’t Lamar the 32nd pick? It’s not impossible to hit outside the top 10.
To be fair, only Lamar and Hurts remain from outside the Top 10. But the Steelers are able to trade up if they need to! And Tomlin is the coach who can make up for the picks lost in the trade!
I agree to a point. Jared Goff isn’t a HoF QB. Look what’s he’s been able to do. Fields, I truly believe, can get to that level of play. I’m not saying as a pocket passer like Goff, but maximizing his skill set with a great OC will do wonders for him and whatever team (please for the love of God be the Steelers) employs him.
Thank you! Finally someone who actually sees it. The Steelers knew exactly what they had with Russell Wilson. They didn’t with Fields. Why not let the kid play and see what his ceiling is? Maybe it is what he showed with the Bears. Or…and here’s a good thought…it wasn’t and the kids needed a change of scenery. Now…the Steelers have no idea. He played fairly well for 6 games. You know who else played pretty well for 6 games? The Jets…
really? Dan Marino? Jim Kelly?
I didn’t say all great quarterbacks win championships. But the teams that win championships in recent years almost always have great quarterbacks.
That is because it is the Chiefs every year. Non-Mahomes Super Bowl teams are championship rosters that then went out and added a QB, mostly on rookie contracts. I think the 49ers model (build a great roster then draft a guy to be a game manager) is easier to replicate than the Chiefs model (draft a generational talent at QB then have him carry a mediocre roster).
It’s Mahomes, it’s Brady, it’s Stafford playing at the height of his abilities, which is hall of fame caliber even if his whole career maybe isn’t. There was a fluke year of Nick Foles going on a heater with the best roster in football, but realistically you’re not competing without a really good QB. SF had the best skill position players, a slew of defensive stars, and best offensive architect. That’s not the most replicable model.
That roster Cowher built…with Shawn Andrews as his franchise QB. C’mon.
Imagine actually thinking taking a team lead by Kenny Pickett and then Fields/Old Russ to back to back playoff appearances and 10-7 seasons is somehow a knock on Tomlin
Imagine gobbling up what national mouthpieces like Mike Greenberg tell you
The problem with your logic is that Tomlin is the reason for Pickett. And Russ. And Fields
What, you think he’s like a classroom teacher and just coaches who he’s assigned each year
Rightly or wrongly, he’s the face of the franchise and controls all areas of the team.
I generally think coaches are average
Some are exemplary. Some are poor. Most are in the middle. Average
And that’s Tomlin He’s a motivational speaker but he could use having some other strong voices on staff or allowing Khan and Weidl the latitude to build the team
But you’re right. Steelers fans should enjoy the mediocrity each season and take solace were not Bears fans
Have to laugh about the QB comments here. Just who would be successful behind such an awful o-line? Besides Lamar, that is?
And yeah, the o-line is a result of Tomlin’s decisions, too
We aren’t talking about the Pirates. Simply making the playoffs isn’t enough to satisfy the fanbase. We are talking about the Steelers where winning Super Bowls is the expectation.
The Bears have to be pretty delusional to think they could obtain a coach of Tomlin’s stature. Perhaps the Pittsburgh State Gorilla’s have a coach that Chicago can interview.
Yes, Tomlin is almost 5’3. Coaches of his stature are hard to come by. Most are six feet or better. Are they still called little people or is dwarves the accepted term. Not sure. Somebody help me out
It is not that hard to obtain Tomlin. IF and yes a big IF he wants to go there. He most likely is the one that said no.
Poles trading draft capital for a HC when their O-line is a shambles and they’ve got a young QB who was sacked more than anyone in the league is ridiculous. Leaving “no stone unturned” is another way of saying they don’t have a clue. Keeping Eberflus last offseason when he’d shown absolutely nothing tells ya everything about that fumbling group.
Rondon- The Bears first 3 draft picks should be 1. The best OT available. 2 seconds the best G and C available. 3rd-The best 3 down RB available( There will be one). They need another DT and Edge. They have the money to get those in FA. It doesn’t look like Pickens is going to be worth anything. Still have hope for Booker but the only other guy in the DL reserves to keep might be Walker. He can move around the line so he can be valuable. Safety? Maybe. If they get a pass rush the Safeties are OK. They really don’t need a ton but they have to start by building up the Lines.
In a bubble maybe. But as we all know that will not work. What if the best lineman in the second is from Podunk State because the top 4 guards are already gone yet the second best RB is there?
Where the Bears pick early in the second round those players will be there. They are every year.They can alter the fit and don’t forget they’ll have 80 million in FA. We can only hope that Poles can find somebody better than Nate Davis. I can think of better guys than that you could find at any Home Depot at 6AM.
The only guy I would even consider at 10 besides an OL would be Jeanty. If Jeanty is gone by 10 it makes it easier. The other cool thing is FA comes before the draft. So they’ll have a way better idea of what they need by then. I don’t think there are any Derrick Henry’s or Saquon Barkley’s in FA this year. At least I haven’t heard of any.
There’s a reason the Lions/Eagles/Ravens/Chiefs and a few others are where they are- Yes, they have talent at the skill positions, but everything works because they’re strong in the trenches. Poles has made some good moves but saddling Williams with that disaster of an O-line was borderline criminal- as was actually bringing Eberflub back.
Yes Uncle, O-Line is a must in this years draft. I agree how you have it played out. There’s little to no chance Trey Smith or Drew Dahlman get to free agency. KC and Atlanta will find a way to keep those guys. We will see how free agency and the draft ultimately pan out.
Quite true Fred. The Bears need a Great young C. If Poles can get Jenkins to come back on a 1 year prove it deal he can move back to RG where he belongs. Jeanty would be a guy who could tote the ball 25 times a game where Williams wouldn’t be getting hit. But there re other RB’s who can help there.So 10th OT, 2nd DT, RB or IOL. Then you have LT- Rookie, LG-?-C?-RG Jenkins, RT -Wright. Reserves-Pryor, Stromberg, Maybe Shelton but I don’t like him much. It’s almost impossible to get Stus FA OT’s or C’s. You keep them if you have them. Why I say draft them.
The Bears coach search should be Johnson, Brady, Moncken, Glenn and maybeeee McCarthy if all else fails. 20 some people is stupid.
Yinzers truly believe in their hearts that this is how it will go…
1) Fire Tomlin
2) Become the NFL’s next dynasty
Sane people know that there are only two paths for the Steelers giving that they are, indeed, stuck in the mushy middle…
1) Keep doing what they are doing and hope for luck. Either by getting hot at the right time (like 2005) or by getting lucky in the draft.
2) Accept the pain. Tear it all down, trade everyone and lose for years in the hopes of building it back. Yinzers can’t stand one and dones, I would love to watch them endure 5 years of being the Browns. Not happening.
But, they do believe there is a magic third path (fire Tomlin and become the NFL’s next dynasty) so…
Lay it out.
Explain a realistic (<<<< key word) path for the Steelers to fire Tomlin AND win without a rebuild. Let's hear it.
Can’t blame them for trying. Say what you will about Tomlin, but how many long term coaches do we have in the NFL today, let alone winning ones?
Obviously you’d have Andy Reid at the top, and then who’s next? John Harbaugh, you’d think. Perhaps next is Shanahan, who hasn’t won a championship yet. McDermott’s been doing a good job in Buffalo, but he’s faced some of the same criticism as Tomlin (undeservedly so, in my opinion) for not winning enough in the postseason. LaFleur is in the same boat. Payton’s only been in Denver two years so far, so it’s hard to call him established just yet.
Of all of those coaches, Tomlin has the longest history, and only Harbaugh can compare. The rest have much, much shorter tenures than Tomlin, and only Reid has exceeded his accomplishments. Harbaugh, Payton, and the free agent McCarthy are the only others who have won championships and coaches last year. Tomlin has out-achieved all expect possibly Harbaugh, who we could consider as equivalent accomplishment wise.
The point here is not that Tomlin is the pinnacle of coaching success. The point is that it’s really hard to find success of that level, let alone to exceed it. Perhaps Pittsburgh could in fact upgrade. It would be really, really hard to make that happen, though. For Chicago, this would definitely be an upgrade and help in building the culture that the Steelers currently have. It’s not hard to imagine why the Bears would be glad to try to reach the level that some Steelers fans are sick of, and to think that they could add the little bit that might be missing to win the championship that has been elusive for Pittsburgh in the 2010s and 2020s.
I generally liked Tomlin as the Steelers coach but over time, it’s gotten old for me
I don’t advocate anyone being fired or traded, but his stubbornness is a supreme roadblock here, whether it’s his views on how offenses should work, defensive schemes or drafting and signing
It’s become pretty clear to even most Tomlin supporters here that his success can be attributed to players already here via Cowher and/or Colbert, and thanks to a HoF QB
There are no Polamalu’s here, or Big Ben’s, Heaths, Hines, Busses, Harrison’s, Farriors etc
I get that good drafting and signings are an art but clearly, the franchise has slid into mediocrity
Mike’s legacy seems to be he can beat bad teams every year, but lose to good ones. Hence his dreadful playoff record over the past 6-7 years.
I wonder if tomlin is not interested in a trade because he only intends to coach a few more seasons and doesn’t want to start over?
Probably just does not want the Bears job as it is seen as a no win situation for him.
The Bears coaching search is hilarious. They clearly have no idea what they are looking for and are just interviewing everyone under the sun.
That’s how you can tell it’s a first time Coach search for Poles. They stuck him with Eberlose so he knows he’ll only get this one shot so he’s over thinking it.