Mike Tomlin had a blunt and direct response to any team considering calling the Steelers to inquire about a possible trade involving Pittsburgh's longtime head coach.
Tomlin, whose future with the Steelers has been a hot-button topic since Saturday's wild-card playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens, was asked if he had a message for any team that may call the Steelers about a possible trade for him. One team has already reportedly called the Steelers to inquire about trading for Tomlin, who recently concluded his 18th season in Pittsburgh.
"I have no message. Save your time," Tomlin said.
Tomlin (who has a no-trade clause in his contract) also made it clear during Tuesday's season-ending press conference that he has no plans to step down anytime soon. He has three years on his current contract that runs through the 2027 season. And despite his team's latest early playoff exit, Tomlin said he is energized to begin the work of preparing for the 2025 campaign.
As far as the 2024 season, Tomlin said he is still unearthing what went wrong during the season's final five weeks. Pittsburgh started 10-3 before losing its last five games that included Saturday's 28-14 loss to Baltimore in the first round of the playoffs. The loss marked the seventh time a Tomlin-led Steelers team has lost in the wild-card round. The Steelers have lost their last six playoff games and have now gone eight years without a win in the postseason.
Tomlin acknowledged that there would more than likely be significant changes this offseason, to both the coaching staff as well as the roster. He said he and the team's brass (president Art Rooney II and general manager Omar Kahn) will obviously have to discuss what the team will do at quarterback moving forward. Tomlin did state that he would be comfortable moving forward with Justin Fields if Russell Wilson is no longer on the team moving forward. Both quarterbacks are currently set to become free agents.
When asked about George Pickens, Tomlin was non-committal regarding the team's desire to sign him to a contract extension. While talented, Pickens routinely struggled to maintain his composure on the field during his first three years with the Steelers. Pickens reportedly arrived late to Pittsburgh's Week 17 loss to Kansas City, a report that Tomlin was asked about but did not answer on Tuesday.
Tomlin was clear, however, in his message that he remains committed to his job as the Steelers' head coach, and that he is motivated to get things turned around after having another season fall short of expectations.