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NFL Rumors: Bears tried to speak with, trade for Steelers coach Mike Tomlin

4 weeks agoScott Bair

Mike Tomlin was asked this week about teams that call the Steelers and ask what it’ll cost to acquire their head coach’s services.

His answer: “Save your time.”

That’s as clear and direct as it gets from someone who’s always clear and direct.

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The Bears shot their shot anyway. They received a predictable answer.

According to a Saturday morning report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bears asked to speak with Tomlin and possibly trade for him. The Steelers told them no.

Schefter also reported that another team inquired about Tomlin, and that team was told Tomlin has a no-trade clause in his contract.

That provided a quick end to the prospect of getting Tomlin to Chicago, though there’s nothing wrong with trying to get a well-respected coach destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame who has never had a losing record in 18 years as head coach. That’s true even if the yes percentage is essentially nil.

If we’re to extract meaning from this short-lives storyline, it’s a plus that the Bears are willing to try everything to get a top coach. It also shows that they’re trying to go big in this search and that money isn’t much of an object, considering they tried to acquire a coach in Tomlin who makes tons and tons and tons of money. That’s an indicator that the Bears are willing to write a giant check to land the guy they want.

That leads the Bears back to their course of initial interviews, which they’ve nearly completed. There are but a few remaining, with Minnesota’s Brian Flores and Green Bay’s Adam Stenavich on the docket for Saturday.

The Bears are working every angle, as evidenced by their Tomlin pursuit and their interest in interviewing Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, who will lead the Irish in Monday’s game for the CFP’s national championship. They have also expressed interest in Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell, though it’s uncertain to this point if they’ve interviewed him.

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