There's an important aspect to Mike Tomlin's departure from the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday.
He wasn't fired. He chose to step down.
That means the Steelers retain Tomlin's rights, according to NFL writer Ari Meirov.
So if Tomlin comes back to the NFL to coach at some point and wants to join someone other than the Steelers, there will be a trade needed to move his rights along.
This happened most recently with Sean Payton.
His rights were still held by the New Orleans Saints when the Denver Broncos wanted to hire him.
To get Payton, the Broncos traded their 2023 first-round pick and 2024 second-round pick, while receiving the Saints' 2024 third-round pick in exchange.
MORE: What Mike Tomlin leaving Steelers means for Aaron Rodgers
The Saints used that 2023 pick on DT Bryan Bresee from Clemson and ended up trading the 2024 pick in an additional deal.
Tomlin would be just as coveted as Payton was, if not more. The man has never had a losing season in 19 years as a head coach.
So for any Steelers fans that are particularly bummed about this outcome, you've at least got that to look forward to.
If Tomlin chooses to return to the NFL, the Steelers can expect value in return in a trade for him. And that'd be quite the fascinating development.
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