Mike Tomlin's rare contract detail gives him all the leverage in Steelers trade talks

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost four straight games heading into the NFL Playoffs. They are as cooked as can be, and have a looming matchup with division rival Baltimore in the AFC Wild Card round. Pittsburgh hasn't won a playoff game since 2016, which for a Steelers organization accustomed to postseason success feels like an eternity. Steelers fans are spoiled, and they know it.

Still, there is something to be said for allowing the bottom to fall out of any situation. As vague as that statement is, finishing middle of the pack for the better part of a decade has also limited the amount of talent Pittsburgh has brought in through the draft. The Steelers have been just good enough to tread water – which speaks volumes of Tomlin – but they also fail to make necessary headway to make a playoff run. Therein lies the problem.

Steelers fans have had enough of it. Yes, there are always positive developments to root for in Pittsburgh, but the Steelers are rarely taken seriously as Super Bowl contenders, especially since Ben Roethlisberger retired. Tomlin's run of 18 straight season with a winning record is incredibly impressive but has also limited the Steelers ability to replace a Hall-of-Fame caliber player. They won't do it this offseason, either, as just barely making the playoffs assures Pittsburgh will have a draft pick no higher than 18.

Mike Tomlin would make any Steelers trade extremely difficult

The Steelers front office is unlikely to trade Tomlin, despite what ESPN's Adam Schefter says. On Sunday, Schefter reported that some teams could call Pittsburgh to see if they can pry Tomlin away. He is a great coach, after all, and better than anyone available on the coaching carousel these days. Even if Pittsburgh were interested – and there's no indication they are – trading Tomlin wouldn't be so simple, as Schefter claimed on Monday on the Pat McAfee Show.

“I know we talked about it on Sunday Countdown and raised the idea that a couple of teams were pondering, and I think one team actually looked into it,” Schefter told McAfee. “And uncovered the fact that his contract has a no-trade clause in it. So even if Pittsburgh wanted to trade him, which we’ve gotten zero indication that it does, they couldn’t do that without his permission because he’s got a no-trade clause in his contract.”

Head coaching trades are rare in the modern NFL. Sean Payton and Bruce Arians were dealt by their respective teams, but neither was currently coaching at the time – those organizations simply owned their rights. Herm Edwards was dealt to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2006 for a fourth-round pick. Heck, Kevin O'Connell's name has even come up in conversations the last few days.

A Tomlin trade would be a huge surprise, and change the NFL landscape as a result. And more importantly for the Steelers, he'd get to choose his next destination, which would likely limit the compensation they receive in return.