Steelers reportedly reject Bears’ trade request for head coach Mike Tomlin

The Chicago Bears are exploring an array of options to fill their head-coaching vacancy, including the trade market. 

They placed a call to the Pittsburgh Steelers to acquire head coach Mike Tomlin but were denied, according to a recent report from ESPN. One other NFL team inquired about Tomlin, who has a no-trade clause, but they were also unable to negotiate a trade, per the report.

Tomlin delivered a message earlier this week regarding potential trade offers from other teams — “save your time.”

The Steelers are coming off a 10-7 campaign that saw them lose five combined games (regular season plus postseason) to close out the season, ending with a loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the wild-card round.

Pittsburgh has a combined 183-107-2 regular-season record, won Super Bowl XLIII and has never had a losing season under Tomlin (2007-present). That said, the Steelers also haven’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season.

Chicago went 5-12, low-lighted by a 10-game losing streak, this season. It’s in the midst of an exhaustive head-coaching search, which has included interviews with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, among many others. The Bears fired head coach Matt Eberflus after two-plus seasons following their loss to the Lions in Week 13.

Whomever Chicago’s next head coach is, that person inherits a compelling roster, headlined by quarterback and 2024 first overall pick Caleb Williams, wide receivers DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards and cornerback Jaylon Johnson.

The Bears are one of five teams in search of a head coach, the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders being the other four. The New England Patriots are the only team to hire a new head coach thus far this cycle, that being Mike Vrabel.

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