By Adeniyi Precious 
Looks like the Chicago Bears are shooting their shot! Even though their head coach search is reportedly down to two candidates—former Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy and Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson—they didn’t shy away from trying to land a big fish. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bears reached out to the Steelers to see if head coach Mike Tomlin might be up for grabs. Bold move, right?
But here’s the catch: Tomlin has already shut down any ideas of him leaving Pittsburgh. When asked about potential trade requests, he kept it short and sweet: “Save your time.” Clearly, Bears GM Ryan Poles either missed that memo or just didn’t care. Either way, the Steelers didn’t let things go far—Tomlin wasn’t even part of the conversation.
For now, Chicago’s coaching search seems like a waiting game, especially with Ben Johnson still busy in the playoffs. Bears fans are hyped about Johnson as their top pick, but the idea of Mike McCarthy is… let’s say less exciting for most. Another name floating around is Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, but it doesn’t seem likely he’d leave South Bend for the NFL just yet.
Meanwhile, the Steelers are sticking to their usual formula of stability. Tomlin is just the third head coach they’ve had since 1969, and that streak isn’t ending anytime soon. While some critics point out Pittsburgh’s nearly 10-year playoff victory drought, it’s hard to argue with Tomlin’s track record: 183 wins, 18 straight non-losing seasons, and a legacy of consistency. Sure, the playoff wins have been elusive, but the Steelers’ success under Tomlin speaks for itself.
In short: the Bears swung big, but Tomlin’s staying put in Pittsburgh. Back to the drawing board, Chicago!