Schefter: NFL Teams Could Call Steelers About Mike Tomlin Trade After Season

NFL teams may reportedly give the Pittsburgh Steelers a call after the season and see if there's interest in them trading head coach Mike Tomlin.

ESPN's Adam Schefter provided that report Sunday, but made clear there hasn't been any indication the Steelers would make that move.

The conversation with ESPN's Mike Greenberg begins at the 5:37 mark.

"I think there are going to be some teams out there that have watched the way the Pittsburgh Steelers' season has ended and wonder whether they should call the Steelers to see if they should inquire about whether the Steelers would be willing to move on from Mike Tomlin and move him to another organization," Schefter said.

"I don't think Pittsburgh will do that. That has not been what they've been about. And there's no indication that they would. But I do think there are teams wondering if they should lob in a call and see if they could stir Pittsburgh's interest."

Tomlin has coached the Steelers for 18 seasons, making the playoffs in 12 of them. Pittsburgh has never had a losing record in any season under his watch, winning two AFC titles and one Super Bowl along the way.

This year's team has gone 10-7 with a playoff berth but ended the regular season on a four-game losing streak.

The Steelers haven't won a playoff game since 2016. They have also won over 10 games just once since 2018. So while the Steelers have had great success overall under Tomlin, his recent teams have been fringe playoff squads rather than serious Super Bowl contenders.

That being said, many NFL teams would love to be perennial playoff contenders, and Tomlin has led competitive squads for two decades. He's one of the NFL's best coaches for this reason, even if great success has been elusive in recent history.

Schefter notably pointed to the team's late-season downswing as a reason for why teams could be calling the Steelers to see if they'd be interested in a change. It was an ugly finish for Pittsburgh, which was 10-3 and in the driver's seat for an AFC North title (and potential No. 2 seed) just four weeks ago.

Then the Steelers lost their next three games by a combined 50 points to three legitimate Super Bowl contenders in the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs before falling 19-17 at home to the Cincinnati Bengals.

The offense in particular has been problematic, with a lack of explosive plays being a culprit. It's not looking good for the playoffs, but that is where the Steelers are headed yet again under Tomlin. Perhaps Pittsburgh does find a way to get it together from now until next weekend.

Even if the Steelers are one-and-done, it's still hard to envision the Steelers parting ways with Tomlin given another playoff finish. Unless the team bottoms out in the future, one would presume his job is safe in town.