Mike Tomlin stressed that there would likely be significant changes with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason. But Steelers Nation is waiting to see what those changes might be.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac implied this week that the team is still determining what offseason changes, if any, the team will make to their coaching staff.
In an online fan chat on January 22, Dulac simply wrote, “To be determined” when asked if the Steelers would part with any coaches this offseason.
The Steelers offseason officially began nearly two weeks ago. The team has signed nearly two dozen players to reserve/future contracts during that time. But they have not made a single change to their coaching staff.
Will Coordinators Arthur Smith, Teryl Austin Return for Steelers in 2025?
The first Steelers coaching question this offseason was whether offensive coordinator Arthur Smith would return. Smith received head coaching interview opportunities with the Chicago Bears and New York Jets.
But the Bears and Jets filled their head coaching vacancies with other candidates. So, presumably, Smith will be back in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers finished 16th in points scored and 23rd in offensive yards during 2024. Those were improvements after they ended 2023 28th in points and 25th in yards.
So, it makes sense that Smith will be back for a second season.
Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin’s future is a little less clear. While Austin is highly regarded around the league, his Steelers unit was underwhelming at times, especially at the end of the season, in 2024.
Under Austin, the Steelers have taken a step back in pressuring quarterbacks. Pittsburgh’s defense was also ranked 25th in passing yards allowed during 2024
That’s not acceptable, according to some pundits, because the Steelers are ranked first in salary cap spending on defense.
After collapsing at the end of the 2024 season, Tomlin and the Steelers could make Austin a scapegoat.
Other Potential Coaching Changes for Mike Tomlin
On January 12, Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora floated that special teams coordinator Danny Smith could leave although Kozora seemed to imply retirement was more likely than a firing. But it’s more probable than not that if the Steelers do make coaching changes, it will be at the positional level.
“Offensive line coach Pat Meyer is likely on his way out,” Kozora predicted. “Perhaps defensive line coach Karl Dunbar will join him.
Quarterbacks coach Tom Arth and wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni are not safe either after the Steelers failed to score more than 17 points in any of their final five games. But if Smith returns, Arth and Azzanni are likely to be back as well.
A change at offensive line makes the most sense. While the team has made incremental improvements on the offensive front, it’s been arguably too slow base on the draft investments the Steelers have made on the line
It’s doesn’t help Meyer’s cause that former Steelers fourth-round pick Kevin Dotson departed and has become a star with the Los Angeles Rams the past two seasons.
It’s doubtful, though, that simply moving on from Meyer will be enough change for a large part of Steelers Nation. If that’s the only coaching switch, that will likely cause some fans to question, as the fan in Dulac’s chat did, owner Art Rooney II’s commitment to immediate change.
Of the coaches the Steelers retain, will the team be keeping them because of its faith in them as coaches or to save money on a coaching contract that has yet to expire?
Based on Dulac’s response, that’s “to be determined” too.
