This article is totally serious and will hopefully start a conversation that needs to happen: should the Steelers trade Mike Tomlin?

My answer is yes.

People may think this notion is ridiculous and can never happen, but history shows it’s happened before. Recent history even shows it’s something that organizations are still exploring. An honest look shows that a head coach trade is a legitimate strategy and one that could pay dividends for the Steelers and bring them more Super Bowl victories.

Here is my case for why the Steelers should explore trading Mike Tomlin.

There is precedence

It may be a rare occurrence, but coach trades have happened before.

The most notable trade came in 2002 with Jon Gruden. After going 40-28 during four seasons with the Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders, Gruden was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The cost? Two 1st round picks, two 2nd round picks, and $8 million dollars.

Though this type of deal hasn’t happened since the Gruden trade, a similar blockbuster move almost happened a few years ago. Following the 2013 NFL season, there were reported talks between the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers about a trade for then 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh. Though the talks fell through and nothing concrete ever happened, it serves as an example that this type of strategy is still possible in the NFL.

There is behind the scenes talk all the time that fans never hear about. Desperate teams like the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets may be calling around the league asking about acquiring head coaches. The Steelers should make it known that Mike Tomlin is on the trade block.

Steelers in “win now” mode

With Ben Roethlisberger possibly retiring when his contract expires in three years, the Steelers have limited time remaining with their best quarterback of all time. This window puts the Steelers in “win now” mode.

Assuming the Steelers got a deal similar to the Gruden deal, this would give them a plethora of draft picks to stock the roster with talent. The Steelers would have two 1st round picks and two 2nd round picks in both 2017 and 2018. Looking at this year’s draft, having four picks in the top two rounds would allow the Steelers to address edge rusher and cornerback with ease. With both of these top needs being addressed early, the Steelers could then focus on adding talent to take them to the Super Bowl. They could draft a true #2 wide receiver and a big tight end that could stretch the field.

Depending on how the draft falls the Steelers could even take a quarterback in the first round of this year or next years draft. A player like Pat Mahomes or Mitch Trubisky could fall and the Steelers could snag their quarterback of the future.

If the Steelers are truly dedicated to winning another Super Bowl with Ben Roethlisberger, then they should listen to trade offers. Losing Tomlin is a small price for building an elite roster.

Tomlin’s had his shot

Pittsburgh is known as the City of Champions for a reason. We don’t settle: we expect a Super Bowl run every year. Tomlin has failed to get the Steelers another ring in a long time. Though he did win one, it was with Cowher’s team, not the unit he built himself.

Tomlin’s Steelers are known for a lot of things, but one of those is not Super Bowl wins.

They’re known for poor clock management. (How often do we see Tomlin misusing his timeouts in critical game situations?)

They’re known for losing to lesser teams. (All too often the Steelers lose games to inferior opponents in “trap” games.)

They’re known for choking in big situations. (The Steelers keep finding ways to lose in big situations, whether it’s losing to the Packers in Super Bowl 45 or being blown out by the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, we’ve grown accustomed to the Steelers not doing enough to win.)

The Steelers are the greatest franchise in the NFL and Tomlin is wasting a team filled with generational talents like Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, and Le’Veon Bell. It’s time for a change while they can still get value out of trading the coach.

Conclusion

Trading Tomlin makes a ton of sense once you think about it. The Steelers would receive draft picks that would help them build an elite roster and fill all of their holes. They would be able to make a culture change that will help them forget about the stigma of “trap games” by replacing it with one of greatness.

It’s happened in the NFL before and it should happen again.

The Steelers may even have their head coach of the future currently within the organization: Todd Haley. Among Haley’s bullet points on his resume is his excellent tenure in Kansas City which included a playoff run, and coordinating the Arizona Cardinals offense to a Super Bowl appearance. We’ve seen how elite the Steelers offense has been under Haley’s watch; imagine if we can have a similar impact across all units of the team!

Tomlin’s time in Pittsburgh has been admirable, but he’s had his shot and blown it. It’s time for a change, and if the Steelers can get both drafts picks and a new coach, then a trade would go down as one of the great moves in Steeler history.

 

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