Ravens owner doesn't rule out Mike Tomlin as a coaching candidate in Baltimore

Michael Kaskey-Blomain

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Ravens owner doesn't rule out Mike Tomlin as a coaching candidate in Baltimore image

Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Biscotti was in the midst of his season-ending press conference when he found out that Mike Tomlin would no longer be serving as the head coach of the rival Pittsburgh Steelers.

Biscotti was immediately asked if Tomlin could potentially be a candidate for Baltimore’s own head coaching vacancy, and he didn’t totally rule out the possibility. In fact, he even seemed excited about it.

“Holy s—t, Mike. Wouldn’t that be awesome? Only if John [Harbaugh] takes the Pittsburgh job,” Biscotti quipped. “Wow. Wouldn’t that be interesting? … I love Mike. I’ve admired Mike for 18 years. That’s really shocking that he did it that way. But yeah, that’s kind of crazy.”

Biscotti also joked that Tomlin’s celebration after the Steelers bested the Ravens in Week 18 to clinch the AFC North and secure a spot in the playoffs might disqualify him from consideration.

"That thing last week maybe disqualified him from my opening after our kicker missed a kick to let them advance,” Biscotti said.

It would be wild if the Ravens went from Harbaugh to a longtime rival in Tomlin, but there’s an important distinction to keep in mind when discussing Tomlin’s future. Since Tomlin was still under contract with the team and he stepped down, that means the Steelers will retain his rights.

Thus, they could potentially trade him for compensation if he decides he wants to coach elsewhere, similar to when the New Orleans Saints traded Sean Payton to the Denver Broncos.

It’s difficult to imagine a world where the Steelers would willingly trade Tomlin to another team in the division, especially the Ravens. So while Biscotti might be intrigued by the possibility, it is extremely unlikely.

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Contributing Writer