Tuesday’s “First Call” has a wrinkle in the conversation about the idea of teams trading for Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. We get to know the officials for Saturday’s Steelers-Ravens game. An ex-Steeler and Raven has joined a different AFC playoff club.
And we examine the opponents of the Penguins during their upcoming five-game homestand.
So much for that
For at least the third year in a row, there is speculation that the teams across the league may be interested in trading for Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. ESPN’s Adam Schefter advanced that notion Sunday.
But there is a catch.
Schefter told the “Pat McAfee Show” on Monday that at least one team investigated the idea of trading for Tomlin, only to discover that Tomlin’s contract includes a no-trade clause.
“One team actually looked into it,” Schefter said of the idea of trading for Tomlin. “(The team) 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.”
For Pittsburgh fans wanting a change at the top when it comes to the Steelers coaching position, it’s probably just going to have to come from Rooney deciding he wants someone new in the job and firing Tomlin.
We are multiple losing seasons in a row from that ever happening. So don’t hold your breath.
More sports
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• Tim Benz: Steelers haven’t earned the privilege of a clean slate heading into playoffs
• Kris Letang continues to mentor the Penguins’ younger defensemen
Zebra patrol
We now know the officials for the Steelers-Ravens playoff game. The referee will be Alex Kemp. That’s according to FootballZebras.com.
According to NFL Penalties.com, Kemp’s crew called 59 offensive holding violations during the regular season. That’s tied for the most in the league. So there is hope for T.J. Watt.
However, the game is being played in Baltimore. And of those 59 holding flags, 36 of them have come against the road team.
Kemp worked one Steelers game this year. It was Pittsburgh’s 20-10 Week 3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Ten flags were thrown, just three against Pittsburgh. The Ravens won a 41-31 game over Tampa Bay that Kemp worked in Week 7. They were whistled nine times, the Bucs eight.
Overall, Kemp’s crew has tossed 221 flags, which is the fourth-most in the NFL this season. FootballZebras.com lists three of his fellow crew members who will also be working the game, including Julie Johnson, who is from the University of Maryland. The group also features umpire Mark Pellis from Scott Novak’s crew. He is an Allegheny College alum.
New Destination
A former Steeler and Raven has joined a different AFC playoff team. The Houston Texans are signing ex-Steelers defensive back Anthony Averett to the practice squad. That’s according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.
Averett didn’t make the 53-man roster out of training camp. He was placed on the Steelers’ practice squad Aug. 29 but didn’t play in any of the Steelers’ first six games. Via SteelersNow.com, he was then put on the practice squad injured list Oct. 20.
Averett has 114 career tackles and three interceptions. He has also been a member of the Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions.
The Texans host the Los Angeles Chargers at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, right before the Steelers-Ravens game.
In the home barn
The Penguins begin a five-game homestand Tuesday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets. They come in with 41 points, tied with Montreal for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference at this stage of the season.
That’s one more point than the Jackets have. The Pens are fourth in the Metropolitan Division. Columbus is fifth. The Blue Jackets have won four of their past six games. The Pens have just one win in their past five games.
Edmonton comes to Pittsburgh on Thursday. They are third in the Pacific Division with 51 points. Star forward Connor McDavid is in a goal-scoring funk. He has only scored only once in his past 11 games.
After that, the Pens have two important games against direct wild card competition. The Ottawa Senators are at PPG Paints Arena at 4 p.m. Saturday. Then the Tampa Bay Lightning are in town at 5 p.m. Sunday. Tampa has 42 points in the top wild card slot. The Senators have 40 points, one behind the Pens.
Seattle closes out the homestand Jan. 14. The Kraken are struggling with just 37 points in 41 games.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at [email protected] or via X. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.