The Chicago Bears might not be in the playoffs once again, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be paying close attention to them. Several of their potential head coaching candidates will be working over the next few weeks as they make a run for the Super Bowl. One thing that has become clear is that the team brass is aiming for one of two categories. The coach must either have a strong offensive background to help develop Caleb Williams or previous head coaching experience.
One name they’ve hoped to explore is Mike McCarthy, having asked for permission to speak with the Dallas Cowboys head coach. They were denied, though they may still get an opportunity if he has no new deal by January 14th. However, he isn’t the only current head coach the Bears are monitoring. A source informed SM that higher-ups in the organization are paying careful attention to what happens in one of the key playoff games this weekend. It is the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. the Baltimore Ravens.
The Chicago Bears are observing the Mike Tomlin situation.
Buzz has surrounded the Steelers head coach for the past few years as his inability to win a playoff game since 2016 becomes a greater talking point. He might be in more danger than ever before. Pittsburgh started 10-3 and looked like a Super Bowl favorite. Since then, they’ve lost four in a row, with the offense failing to crack 20 points in any of those games. If the Steelers fail to topple the Ravens, many feel it might finally be time for the organization to move on. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette indicated the tension is very real.
The opinion among Steelers fans regarding head coach Mike Tomlin and his job status seems to be split.
There’s one group that believes Tomlin should lose his job if he can’t beat the Ravens on Saturday night at M&T Bank Stadium. And another that thinks he probably should’ve been fired into the sun long ago.
OK, that’s an exaggeration. I think. Tomlin certainly has his backers, though it’s a wild dynamic, one where he’s more popular outside of Pittsburgh than with locals.
But here’s something on which everyone can and should agree: There are no more excuses.
There is every reason to believe the Chicago Bears would pounce at the opportunity to land Tomlin. He’s never had a losing season in his coaching career and won a Super Bowl in 2008. He’s still only 52 years old and has direct ties to team president Kevin Warren. The two worked together in 2006 with the Minnesota Vikings. Tomlin embodies the exact traits Chicago is looking for in a head coach: tough, disciplined, holds players accountable, and a winner.
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Will it happen?
Pittsburgh’s ownership is notoriously stubborn about making changes at the head coach’s position, so it’s hard to imagine. Still, they may have no choice if outside pressure gets strong enough.
Only as a emergency backup plan!
@Arnie
Tomlin has gaping holes because like the Bears, he has terrible coaches. Unlike the Bears, he’s a great motivator. He does not trust young players (because his coaches are mediocre at best) and he won’t put them on the field unless he is forced to, and then benches them as soon as someone with “experience” is available.
@Arnie. Great perspective!
If they hire Ben Johnson, maybe they could convince him to have Pete Carroll as a Sr. organization analyst for two years, to set up the coaching staff.
Mike Tomlin is absolutely the wrong coach for Chicago. Chicago fans, writers and maybe their brass, have this idea with how everything fell apart with Eberflus, that Chicago needs a “tough guy.” That is absurd. Tomlin is too damn stubborn to do anything with Caleb Williams. He was so excited the get Justin Fields and sat Fields after a 4-2 start for Russell Wilson. But Tomlin doesn’t coach or trust young players, and he likes smashing opponents with a Derrick Henry -type back. Too bad he doesn’t have Henry. Pittsburgh fans are tired of 10 seasons of never getting to,… Read more »
Watching Pittsburgh steamroll their way to 2 first downs and about 50 yards of offense in the 1st half, I can’t help but think back to when local Chicago media and a whole bunch of really smart fans were crying to trade for Russell Wilson, and worse, Ryan Pace tried his best to do it…lol. Three first rounders plus starting players from their roster…lol. George McCaskey should send Pete Carroll a thank you note daily for turning that deal down. (And the demands to trade a similar package for DeShaun Watson were nearly as loud.) It’s hard not to laugh… Read more »