Bears Get Bad News on Coach Search Amid Mike Tomlin Rumors

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Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

In the hours after January 11’s NFL wild-card playoff games, it seemed the Chicago Bears could have a golden opportunity to hire Mike Tomlin as their next head coach amid uncertainty about his future with the Pittsburgh Steelers for 2025.

It took less than 24 hours for the door to close on Tomlin’s availability, though.

According to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, the Steelers have no plans to move on from Tomlin as their head coach following their 28-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the wild-card round of the playoffs despite”a widespread public outcry.”

Fans expressed their frustrations — both on social media and at the game — with Tomlin and the Steelers’ playoff success under his leadership over the past several seasons. Pittsburgh has now lost six consecutive playoff games dating back to 2016 and has gone one-and-done in the postseason eight times in Tomlin’s 18 seasons as coach, prompting some to call for a mutual split between Tomlin and the Steelers for 2025.

Naturally, Bears fans got themselves excited about the possibility of Tomlin suddenly hitting the market amid the team’s ongoing coaching search. The Bears have requested interviews with more than a dozen candidates over the past week and have already met virtually with several of them, including Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Mike Vrabel — who has since accepted the head coaching position with New England.

If Tomlin became available, the Bears would almost certainly want to meet with him, but there isn’t much they can do if the Steelers are still committed to him — except for, perhaps, make them a trade offer they cannot refuse for their illustrious head coach.

Will Bears Consider Making a Trade for Mike Tomlin?

While Dulac’s report indicates the Steelers will retain Tomlin for the 2025 NFL season, a strong trade offer for Tomlin could change their minds under the right circumstances.

The Steelers have enjoyed a long period of sustained success under Tomlin’s leadership, but the outside noise has grown louder in urging the team to start fresh with a new head coach during the 2025 offseason. The media has even joined fans in their outrage with Good Morning Football’s Kyle Brandt arguing the Steelers should consider “a divorce.”

Now, the Steelers can simply tune it out and stay the course with Tomlin, but firing him is a much different proposition than accepting a trade offer for him. If a team — such as the Chicago Bears — offered multiple draft picks in exchange for Tomlin in the coming weeks, the Steelers brass may decide to re-evaluate its plans for the long-term future.

The Bears have indicated they are open to the possibility of a coaching trade. General manager Ryan Poles explicitly left the door open on such an option when asked about it during January 12’s end-of-year news conference, saying they will explore “all avenues.”

Unfortunately, any trade for a head coach would likely cost the Bears significant draft capital. The Denver Broncos gave up a first- and second-round pick in exchange for Sean Payton and a third-rounder during the most recent head coaching trade in 2023. The Bears would have to offer at least as much compensation in a deal for Tomlin — or another NFL coach, such as San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan or L.A.’s Sean McVay.

Two premium draft picks is a tall order, even to secure a proven coach like Tomlin.

Bears Have Hiring Options Outside of Mike Tomlin

The Bears should keep their minds open to the possibility of a trade, but they also have no shortage of free-agent candidates to consider during the 2025 NFL hiring cycle.

In the first week of the formal hiring process, the Bears conducted virtual interviews with numerous promising candidates such as Johnson — a fan-favorite choice to land the Chicago job — and Vrabel. They also spoke with Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, among others.

The Bears aren’t slowing down in the divisional-round week, either. According to NFL Network, they have interviews scheduled with Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and a trio of offensive coordinators — Kliff Kingsbury (Washington), Todd Monken (Baltimore) and Arthur Smith (Pittsburgh) — for their head coaching vacancy. They also want to speak with Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman about the job.

The Bears are not looking to rush their decision, but it is worth noting that other teams are also seeking their new head coaches and working with the same candidate pool. If the Bears find someone who checks all of their boxes, they may need to act swiftly.