Bears' interest in Mike Tomlin proves they're serious about finding the right head coach

The Chicago Bears are doing everything they can to prove they're serious about finding the right head coach with their inquiry into a trade for Mike Tomlin.

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Fans of some teams, like the Chicago Bears, are well within their rights to be skeptical of any positive vibes about their team. The Bears haven't earned any benefit of the doubt when it comes to making the right move at just about every player position or coach. But that reputation may be coming to an end.

ESPN insider Adam Schefter confirmed on Saturday morning that the Bears reached out to the Pittsburgh Steelers about trading for Mike Tomlin, but the Steelers refused.

The Bears recently called the Steelers to see if they would be allowed to talk to and potentially try to trade for longtime head coach Mike Tomlin, only to have Pittsburgh rebuff their inquiry, league sources told ESPN.https://t.co/MviaUsBrjG

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 18, 2025

This would have been a slam dunk trade if the Bears had been able to pull it off. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately for those who want Detroit's offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to land in Chicago, the Steelers wouldn't play ball. Despite speculation that Tomlin's tenure in Pittsburgh may have run its course, that relationship appears as intact as ever.

GM Ryan Poles and team president Kevin Warren may have already earned some measure of trust.

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Bears fans have heard and said 'this time it will be different' many times before, and time and time again it was no different. The team hired the wrong coach, drafted the wrong quarterback, or signed the wrong player.

This time it really does feel different.

First, Poles and Warren convinced CEO George McCaskey to break with 105 years of tradition and fire a head coach midseason. Then the Bears let it be known that the hottest head coach candidate is their top priority by requesting an interview with Ben Johnson before anyone else.

Now we find out they tried to swing a trade for a Super Bowl-winning head coach who has never seen a losing season. The Bears have a reputation for being cheap, so the fact they're pursuing the highest-paid coach in the NFL? Times have certainly changed.

If the Bears had traded for Tomlin, they would also have acquired his contract which runs through the 2027 season. All these signs taken together point to the Bears finally deciding to conduct themselves like the flagship franchise that they are.

Bears fans can continue to believe that the team will hire the wrong head coach again. They've earned your cynicism. But leave a little room in your fandom to be pleasantly surprised.

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