Report: Bears asked about trading for Steelers' Tomlin
The Chicago Bears inquired with the Pittsburgh Steelers about trading for head coach Mike Tomlin but were denied any opportunity to pursue the move, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
At least one other team looked into trading for Tomlin before the Steelers told it that the coach has a no-trade clause in his contract, Schefter reported.
Tomlin rebuffed any idea of swapping teams at his end of year news conference Tuesday, saying "I have no message. Save your time."
Rumors have swirled around whether Pittsburgh would make any head coaching changes after five consecutive one-and-done playoff appearances. The club hasn't won a postseason contest since knocking off the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round in 2016. It went on to lose to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
The Bears have interviewed multiple head coach candidates in lieu of pursuing Tomlin, including former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, and Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, among others. Chicago fired former bench boss Matt Eberflus after Week 13 of the 2024 campaign.
Tomlin, 52, is the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL with 18 seasons as the Steelers' leader. He owns a 183-107-2 record, has never posted a losing season, and won Super Bowl XLIII.