In an attempt to widen their search for a head coach, the Chicago Bears called the Pittsburgh Steelers to inquire about Mike Tomlin’s availability to see if they could talk and try to trade for him, ESPN.com reports.
According to the report, those requests fell on deaf ears and Tomlin never personally received the inquiry.
Speculation about Tomlin’s future in Pittsburgh has run rampant since the Steelers were eliminated in the wild-card round last week by the Baltimore Ravens.
Tomlin addressed the possibility of other teams asking about him, and he told them to ‘save your time.’
The 52-year-old Tomlin, who has a 183-107-2 record in 18 seasons in Pittsburgh, has a no-trade clause in his contract, as at least one other team reportedly asked about his availability.
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‘I understand the nature of what it is that we do, the attention and criticism that comes with it,’ Tomlin said earlier this week. ‘As a matter of fact, I embrace it, to be quite honest with you. I enjoy the urgency that comes with what I do and what we do.
‘I don’t make excuses for failure. I own it, but I also feel like I’m capable and so as long as I’m afforded an opportunity to do that, I will continue. But I certainly understand their frustrations and probably more important than that, I share it because that’s how I’m wired.’
Pittsburgh hasn’t won a playoff game since losing the AFC Championship to the New England Patriots in 2017. They have also lost four straight in the wild-card round.
The Bears have conducted interviews with more than a dozen people as they look to replace Matt Eberflus, who was fired in November after 14-32 in his three seasons with the team.
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