Steelers’ Tomlin on teams considering a trade for him – ‘Buy time’

PITTSBURGH – Mike Tomlin has a message for any team considering inquiring with the Steelers about his availability in a potential trade.

“Save time,” the head coach said Tuesday during his end-of-season press conference.

Following the Steelers’ fifth straight trip to the playoffs, Tomlin’s professional status and future within the organization has been a hot topic of debate and a source of consternation among fans. Tomlin, who signed a three-year extension last offseason and just completed his 18th season at the helm of the organization, said he understood their frustration.

“I understand the nature of what we do and the attention and criticism that comes with it,” he said. “I actually accept it, to be completely honest with you. I appreciate the urgency that comes with what I do and what we do.

“I don’t make excuses for failure. I own it, but I also feel capable and so as long as I have the opportunity to do it I will continue, but I certainly understand their frustrations and probably more importantly again, I share it because that’s how I’m connected.”

Tomlin expressed disappointment in how the season ended throughout his final press conference, but he admitted that the five-game slide to end the season, capped by a 28-14 loss to the Ravens, was “football justice.”

“I don’t look at it as a misfortune, to be completely honest with you,” Tomlin said. “Particularly at this level in this business and in this game, there is football justice. You get what you deserve, and so we are here and we are here for really tangible reasons. We didn’t get involved in any way. the right way.”

Tomlin said there would be “changes” in the organization, but he didn’t elaborate on specifics, saying it was in the early stages of postseason debriefing. He met with his players as a group on Monday and also began individual exit meetings. He also met with owner Art Rooney II and general manager Omar Khan.

“Certainly, changes happen when we don’t get the outcome we want, and so those are just the realities of business,” Tomlin said. “I imagine there will be things that change here on many levels, but it’s this game as I mentioned, and so I understand that. I’m open to that, I’m just starting the process of some of the decision making that needs to take place.

Among the potential changes is the makeup of the quarterback room. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields both have expiring contracts, and the team signed quarterback Skylar Thompson on Tuesday afternoon, Thompson’s agency announced on social media. Thompson, selected by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft, played in 10 games for Miami with three starts in two seasons and threw one touchdown and three interceptions.

Wilson said Monday that “the plan” was to be in Pittsburgh in 2025, but he later admitted he had yet to meet with the Steelers to begin those discussions.

Tomlin said he believes Wilson and Fields can help the Steelers take the next step to get where the organization wants to go.

“Their professionalism, their approach to business and their relationship with the game have been an encouragement in this regard,” Tomlin said in explaining his belief.

Tomlin also said he has faith in Fields, who went 4-2 in six starts to open the season, to be a 17-game starter if Wilson ultimately chooses to leave in free agency.

“I thought the way he handled his professional situation was really impressive,” Tomlin said. “I thought he brought an urgency to his day-to-day job, regardless of his role. I thought he continually improved in our system of play throughout the process. I thought the way he carried himself in was a legitimate thought or idea at that point.”

And while he said he doesn’t believe the organization is stuck despite six playoff losses in eight years, Tomlin also hasn’t gone out of his way to offer hope and optimism about the future .

“I’m definitely disappointed that I’m not working to get ready to play this week,” he said. “And I’ve definitely felt that way over the last few years, but stuck, it’s kind of a helpless feeling, and I don’t know if I feel helpless.”

He added: “I also don’t know if I’m ready to be too optimistic or sell you optimism. I just recognize what has happened and what needs to happen and what is starting to happen and I recognize the complexity and the amount of work ahead of us. I certainly feel capable, but I certainly don’t feel in the mood for optimism or selling optimism. not to be, I work and that’s where we are. are.”