NFL head coach openly criticizes rivals' decision to trade QB midseason: 'Must be a lot smarter than me'

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin openly questioned his divisional rivals' decision to trade for a quarterback midway through the NFL season. 

The injury-hit Cincinnati Bengals made headlines last week when they traded for veteran signal caller Joe Flacco from the Cleveland Browns. 

The move brought reinforcements to the Bengals' quarterback room after Jake Browning led the team to three consecutive defeats in the wake of Joe Burrow's season-ending toe injury. 

However, it left the Browns with two rookies, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, as the only quarterbacks on their roster. 

And one day after his Steelers beat Cleveland and Gabriel, Tomlin criticized Browns GM Andrew Berry's decision to let Flacco go. 

'To be honest, it was shocking to me,' Tomlin said on Monday. 'Andrew Berry must be a lot smarter than me or us because it doesn't make sense to me to trade a quarterback that you think enough of to make your opening-day starter to a division opponent that's hurting in that area, but that's just my personal feelings.'

However, while he questioned the Browns' perspective of the deal, Tomlin admitted that it was a logical move for Zac Taylor and the Bengals. 

'It certainly made sense from Cincinnati's perspective,' Tomlin said. '... He can throw the football, and he's always been able to throw the football -- arm strength, arm accuracy, anticipatory passer, fluid movement through progressions. That's always been his game.'

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski offered no response when asked about Tomlin's comments on Monday. 

Flacco threw for 219 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions in his first official outing as a Bengal, which ultimately ended in a 27-18 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

And Tomlin was highly complimentary of the veteran's performance ahead of the Steelers' meeting with the Bengals on Thursday.

'On the offensive side, the story is Joe Flacco, and it is reasonable to expect him to be significantly better in Week 2 [as a Bengal],' Tomlin said. 

He added: 'I would imagine they worked hard a week ago on developing timing and cohesion. I'd imagine it's taken a significant step after having done so under some live football circumstances. I saw him make some anticipatory throws even last week, and so I thought he was significantly better as the game wore on.

'Certainly, we got a full week's work ahead of us in terms of minimizing a veteran savvy, talented thrower like him coupled with the eligibles that they have, and so that certainly has our attention.'