While it does appear that the Chicago Bears' search for their next head coach has been whittled down to just two candidates — former Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson — that doesn't mean that Bears general manager Ryan Poles would pass on the opportunity to swing for the fences. But what exactly does swinging for the fences look like when it comes to a head coaching search?

Perhaps trading for a 52-year-old head coach who has the 11th-most wins in NFL history fits the bill?

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Bears recently made a call to the Pittsburgh Steelers to inquire about the availability of head coach Mike Tomlin. This call presumably came right around the time that Tomlin bluntly said, “Save your time,” when asked what his message would be to any teams thinking about making a trade request with the Steelers to pry him away from Pittsburgh. Apparently in the midst of interviewing dozens of head coaching candidates, Ryan Poles didn't get this memo. But as Schefter reported, these discussion never even made it to Tomlin.

The Bears will need to continue to play the waiting game, presumably for as long as the Lions are in the Playoffs. Ben Johnson has been rumored to be Chicago's front-runner for months now, and he's the selection du jour of most Bears fans, myself included. I'll hold off on going too in-depth on the possibility that the Bears could end up hiring Mike McCarthy, if only because I don't want to end up weeping this early in the morning. Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman is a potential wild card, though I don't see him leaving South Bend.

As far as the Steelers go, it looks like they'll continue their trend of consistency and stability. Tomlin is one of just three men who have been the head coach of the Steelers since 1969, and it doesn't sound like that'll change this offseason.

Despite the fact that Mike Tomlin recently led the Steelers to their 18th consecutive season without a losing record, many have suggested that what is now nearly a ten year run without a Playoff victory indicates that Pittsburgh should be ready to move on from their long-time head coach. To that, I say phooey! Tomlin's career record in Pittsburgh is 183-107-2. The Patriots and Packers are the only teams that have won more games than the Steelers since 2007, the year Tomlin took over in the Steel City.