A new report from ESPN shows how wide the Chicago Bears have cast their net in the team’s search for a new head coach.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Bears phoned in a request to speak with Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin about the team’s head-coaching vacancy:
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.”
At least one other team besides the Bears checked into the idea that it could somehow could try to trade for Tomlin, only to be informed that the Steelers coach has a no-trade clause in his contract, according to a league source. The inquiring team quickly halted its efforts and moved on, according to sources.
Though other teams have been interested in Tomlin, the Steelers have no interest in moving on from him, despite Pittsburgh’s fifth consecutive one-and-done trip to the playoffs.
The latest from ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter shows how open this team is to finding a true upgrade after firing Matt Eberflus. The Bears aren’t known for shrewd or thrifty moves. However, calling the Steelers and inquiring about Mike Tomlin’s availability would qualify as such. Executing the trade would’ve been something totally different, mind you. But it was never getting to that point, as Schefter mentions above. Even still … in a world where you can’t get what you don’t ask for, kudos to the Bears for making the Steelers say no. With that, we move on in our obsessive coach search watch.
What this Mike Tomlin report says about the Bears’ head coach search
In other scenarios, I would have wrapped this post up with a “good job, good effort” and “points for creativity” sentiment. However, there are two things that stand out about the Bears’ pursuit of Mike Tomlin.
Firstly, I feel as if the Bears calling the Steelers with the intent to trade for Mike Tomlin hints at the team’s willingness to pay for a coach at the top of the market. Tomlin received an extension in June. Even though contract details were not publicly disclosed, I do not believe it would be a stretch to assume that Pittsburgh made its head coach one of the league’s highest-paid coaches.
Back in December, it was reported that Chicago’s decision-makers have the authority to spend big on a new head coach and their staff. I understand that, based on the Bears’ history, reporting of that nature was met with immediate skepticism. But the way I see it, a report of the Bears kicking the tires on a Tomlin trade suggests the team is willing to make a significant investment in a coach. And perhaps *THIS* is a way to send that message publicly to candidates seeking reassurance on that front. Simply put: You don’t make an angle for a Mike Tomlin trade if your franchise isn’t ready and willing to inherit the contract extension he just signed in Pittsburgh.
The other thought that I cannot shake when dissecting this Mike Tomlin report is that this seemingly represents an example of how the Bears are doing business differently under the Kevin Warren regime. Trading for a head coach isn’t something the previous regime would have considered. Heck, only once under the previous presidency did Chicago’s football team hire a head coach with previous head-coaching experience. It is why hiring John Fox in 2015 felt like a major outlier at the time โย because it was! Perhaps things are changing for the better at Halas Hall, even if those changes might be bubbling underneath the surface.
In the end, Mike Tomlin is sticking with the Steelers and the Bears move on in their search for a head coach. NFL playoff action resumes today. And with it, league insiders will have pregame shows to share the latest bits of news, nuggets, and information. So perhaps it would be in our best interests to tune in this weekend. Keep your heads on swivels, friends. Things could get interesting soon.