Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – It only took a little more than 24 hours after Jay Gruden’s firing for another current NFL head coach to be peppered about the Redskins’ head coaching vacancy.
CBS NFL Insider Jason La Canfora reports ‘Skins owner Daniel Snyder’s ‘primary objective’ will be to find a way to land Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin as the team’s next head coach. Tomlin, a Hampton native who attended Denbigh High School and the College of William & Mary, is under contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers through the 2021 season.
Therefore, unless he’s fired (Pittsburgh is currently 1-and-4 this season), the Redskins would have to trade for the head coach with a .642 winning percentage – the 19th best mark in NFL history. The only active head coach with a better career winning percentage is New England’s Bill Belichick (.684).
Tuesday, Tomlin was asked about being linked to the Redskins job.
“I’m not worried about that, to be quite honest with you,” Tomlin said. “Guys, I’m the head coach of a 1-4 football team that’s going on the road to play a Hall of Fame caliber quarterback with a third-string quarterback. Do you think I’m worried about anything this week other than that?”
Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
Tim Benz of TribLive.com speculated what it would take for the Steelers to send Tomlin to the Redskins. Benz notes in 2002 the Tampa Bay Buccaneers gave the Oakland Raiders their 2002 and 2003 first-round draft picks, 2002 and 2004 second-round draft picks, and $8 million in cash to land head coach Jon Gruden.
In 13 seasons as Pittsburgh’s head coach, Tomlin has compiled a 134-77-1 record that includes eight playoff appearances , six division titles, two AFC titles and a victory in Super Bowl XLIII. He’s never had a losing season. Tomlin, who was 36-years-old when Pittsburgh edged Arizona to win their sixth Super Bowl, is the youngest head coach in history to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory.
However, the Steelers have reached the AFC Championship game just once since the 2010 season.
