Steelers’ Tomlin tells teams considering a trade: “Don’t bother.”

Mike Tomlin has a clear message for any team thinking about asking the Steelers about a possible trade for him.

“Save your time,” the head coach said during his season-ending press conference on Tuesday.

After the Steelers’ fifth consecutive playoff appearance that ended with a quick exit, there has been much debate about Tomlin’s future with the team. Tomlin, who signed a three-year extension last offseason and just completed his 18th season as head coach, understands the frustration of the fans.

“I understand the nature of what it is that we do, the attention and criticism that comes with it,” he said. “As a matter of fact, I embrace it, to be quite honest with you. I enjoy 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 like I’m capable and so as long as I’m afforded an opportunity to do that, I will continue, but I certainly understand their frustrations and probably more importantly than that, I share it because that’s how I’m wired.”

Tomlin expressed his disappointment with how the season ended but admitted that the five-game losing streak to finish the season, including a 28-14 wild-card loss to the Ravens, was “football justice.”

“I don’t view it as misfortune, to be quite honest with you,” Tomlin said. “Particularly at this level in this business and game, there’s football justice. You get what you deserve, and so we are here and we’re here for really tangible reasons.

We didn’t involve in the right ways. We didn’t strike the right chords at the right time, particularly down the stretch.”

Tomlin said there would be “changes” within the organization, but he didn’t go into specifics, saying the postseason review process was just beginning. He had met with the players as a group on Monday and started individual exit meetings. He also spoke with owner Art Rooney II and general manager Omar Khan.

“Certainly, there’s change that comes when we don’t have the desired outcome, and so those are just the realities of the business,” Tomlin said. “I would imagine there’s going to be some things that change around here on a lot of levels, but that’s this game as I’ve mentioned, and so I understand that.

I’m open to that really just beginning the processes of some of the decision-making that has to transpire.”

One possible change is in the quarterback position. Both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are on expiring contracts, and the team signed quarterback Skylar Thompson on Tuesday afternoon, according to Thompson’s agency.

Thompson, who was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft, played in 10 games with three starts over two seasons for Miami, recording one touchdown and three interceptions.

Wilson said Monday that “the plan” is to be in Pittsburgh in 2025, but he admitted he hasn’t yet met with the Steelers to discuss it.

Tomlin said he believes both Wilson and Fields can help the Steelers move forward and reach their goals.

“Just their professionalism, approach to business, their relationship with the game was an encouragement in that regard,” Tomlin said when explaining his belief.

Tomlin also expressed confidence in Fields, who went 4-2 as a starter to begin the season, saying he could be a full-time starter if Wilson leaves in free agency.

“I thought that the way that he managed his professional circumstance was really impressive,” Tomlin said. “I thought he brought an urgency to his day-to-day work regardless of his role. I thought he got continually better within our system of ball throughout the process. I thought the way he conducted himself makes that a legitimate thought or idea at this juncture.”

Even though Tomlin doesn’t think the organization is stuck, despite the six playoff losses in eight years, he was not quick to offer hope for the future.

“I’m certainly disappointed that I’m not working to prepare to play this week,” he said. “And I’ve certainly felt that in recent years, but stuck is kind of a helpless feeling, and I don’t know that I feel helpless.”

He added: “I don’t know that I’m ready to be overly optimistic or sell optimism to you either. I’m just acknowledging what transpired and what has to happen and what is beginning to happen and acknowledging the complexity and the amount of work that’s ahead of us.

Certainly feel capable, but definitely don’t feel in the mood for optimism or the selling of optimism. I don’t know that that’s appropriate. It is disappointing not to be working and so that’s where we are.”