PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – As it's been reported, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has a no-trade clause in his contract. That means if the Steelers would entertain trading him, Tomlin would have to approve the decision. He had a message for any team that would think they could sway him to move.
"Save your time," Tomlin said bluntly.
He has no interest in leaving Pittsburgh and apparently the Steelers have no interest in trading or firing Tomlin after completing an eighth consecutive season without a playoff win, the most since the pre-Chuck Noll era. Tomlin admitted he was frustrated and said they didn't evolve in the right ways nor play well down the stretch, but he's committed to finding the answers here. He said he will spend the entire offseason trying to find them.
"There's obviously a lot of work to do to be quite honest with you," Tomlin said. "I'm energized in terms of beginning the process. I'm doing it because I'm a competitor. I love this game and this business, even when it's miserable, to be quite honest with you."
"I've seen so much in it and been through so much in it, very rarely do I respond to present circumstance, whether it's positive or negative, because of the depths of the relationship that I have with the game."
Tomlin, while being quick to say he's not hunting positives, pointed out some optimism he has going forward. A lot of young players gaining experience who he believed evolved. He wants to help their individual journeys. Tomlin says they have some 'really solid foundational things to build upon and to enhance'.
He said there are complexities to the next few days and weeks, as they figure out what it will take to get this franchise back to the highest level. Tomlin's already talked with team President Art Rooney and GM Omar Khan. He said they shared the same sentiment that while disappointed, they have a real commitment to making sure they're not in the same place a year from now.
But make no mistake, while other changes will likely happen, Tomlin, Khan and Rooney will continue to work together.
