NFL Rumors: Redskins Owner Dan Snyder Plans Strong Push To Land Mike Tomlin In Unusual Coach Trade
Washington Redskins owner Dan Synder wants Mike Tomlin as his team’s next head coach, and he’s reportedly willing to give up quite a bit to get him.
The Redskins sacked coach Jay Gruden after the team’s 0-5 start, and there were almost immediate rumors that the team may go after the Steelers head coach as his replacement — which would necessitate an unusual team-to-team coach trade.
As CBS Sports reported, Synder has long been a fan of Tomlin and has gotten to know the Steelers coach through league events, and knows he will have to pay big to get him. The report claimed that Synder is willing to make Tomlin one of the highest-paid coaches in the NFL while also giving him full authority over the organization, similar to Bill Belichick in New England.
The report noted that Snyder has been willing to give up organizational control in the past.
“Three times before has Snyder made the head coach also the head of football operations — with Marty Schottenheimer, Joe Gibbs, and Mike Shanahan — and Tomlin, a Virginia native, would have the opportunity in Washington to not just to put a coaching staff together, but also reshape the franchise however he sees fit in ways that just would not be feasible in Pittsburgh, where both the coach and general manager report directly to the owner,” the report noted.
It would not be cheap for the Redskins. Aside from making Tomlin one of the highest-paid coaches, the team would need to part with draft picks in order to pull off the rare trade for a head coach. Jon Gruden was the last NFL coach to be traded, getting shipped from the Oakland Raiders to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The trade came at a high cost, as the Buccaneers gave up two first-round draft picks and a second-round draft pick.
While the Redskins became the first NFL team to fire its head coach this year, Mike Tomlin is navigating his own difficulties in Pittsburgh. The Steelers stumbled to a 1-4 start, losing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for the season and backup Mason Rudolph then going down with a concussion.
Redskins blowing up your phone Mike?
Mike Tomlin: Of course, but All Money Ain’t Good Money, feel me? pic.twitter.com/T4E6xH4TVG
— Daniel Dudley (@DDisBORED) October 8, 2019
Tomlin said he is not too concerned about the rumors connecting him to the Washington Redskins, telling reporters that he was staying focused on his team’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night.
“I’m not too worried about it, to be honest with you,” Tomlin told a reporter who asked about the Redskins rumors. “You’re actually the first person to mention it to me in a public setting.”
