GM Ryan Poles promised the Chicago Bears would exhaust any and all avenues to get the head coach right this time. He wasn't lying. There have been seven trades involving head coaches since 1997. Sean Payton was the last in 2023, going from New Orleans to the Broncos. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Bears tried to pull off the eighth when they contacted the Pittsburgh Steelers about a potential deal for Mike Tomlin.
It isn't a secret that many fans in the Steel City are done with the longtime head coach. He hasn't won a playoff game since 2016 and has failed to reach a Super Bowl in 14 years. They feel it's long past time for a change. Chicago seemed to sense a possibility and decided to make the call. Pittsburgh declined.
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, league sources told ESPN.
Discussions never made it to Tomlin, nor is it likely they would they have been successful even if they did. When asked earlier this week about the idea that a team could inquire about his availability -- when in fact at least one team already had -- Tomlin responded: "Save your time."...
...But in the eyes of some sources, Chicago deserves credit for at least making the call. The Bears recognized the type of leader and coach Tomlin is, and in an effort to exhaust all possibilities, they even reached out to the Steelers.
Even without Tomlin in the mix, the Bears have cast a wide net in their head coaching search.
This move isn't a surprise.
Team president Kevin Warren has ties to Tomlin. The two worked together in Minnesota in 2006. It's been reported that he'd prefer a head coach with prior experience. Tomlin has run the Steelers since 2007, never posting a losing record. Unfortunately, Tomlin has a no-trade clause in his contract, so this was never likely to happen.
The Chicago Bears are seizing on every opportunity.
Sources told SM they've also made inroads to Minnesota about Kevin O'Connell, who is locked in a bitter contract dispute with the Vikings. While that is also unlikely, Poles and Warren seem to grasp the value of being proactive. The worst answer they can get is no. Tomlin would've been a strong acquisition for Chicago. He's still only 52 years old and is renowned for his ability to establish a culture of discipline and accountability. Guys are always ready to play. Those are things the Bears locker room sorely needs.
Alas, it wasn't meant to be. Pittsburgh is notorious for refusing to fire head coaches even when it feels like they should be. Chuck Noll dominated the 1970s with four Super Bowls. However, he only made the playoffs four times in the 1980s and won 10 games only once. Bill Cowher had some rough years in the late 1990s and early 2000s before finally breaking through to a championship in 2005. Tomlin won his title in his second season, lost the Super Bowl in 2010, and has three playoff victories total since.
Given where the Chicago Bears are coming from, one could understand why they wouldn't be turned off by such "disappointment."
