We all wanted Keith Butler to remain the Pittsburgh Steelers’ linebacker coach

Keith Butler shouldn’t be the defensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers, but no one wanted him removed completely.

When the Steelers started making adjustments to their coaching staff, most fans wanted Butler to be one of the names removed. After three years as defensive coordinator, most people have seen enough, bringing in young talent and not turning it into much.

With the wanted firing, though, some realized they didn’t want Butler gone completely, just removed from his role. Defensive coordinator may be too much for him to handle, but he’s proven already that he can turn a group of linebackers into stars.

So, if the Steelers were going to remove him, they were hopefully going to demote him to linebacker coach. Which, to a degree, they did.

Joey Porter is out and although Butler will continue to run the defense in 2019, he’s rejoining the linebackers and taking on Porter’s responsibilities as well. A move the team announced yesterday.

Now, outside of being upset Butler will continue being the defensive coordinator, it’s a good move to add him as outside linebacker coach. He’s turned players into superstars before, and with a group that includes T.J. Watt and hopefully two rookies after the draft, he’ll have young talent to sculpt.

It’s been awhile since Pittsburgh has had that dominate linebacker core. That could change with Butler taking on the role once again. As the team tries to find some light in Bud Dupree and hopefully fix their inside linebacker problem this summer, Butler will have an important task on his hands to re-amp this core.

It’s not a poor decision. It’d be better if they removed him as defensive coordinator and kept him as outside linebacker coach, but it’s a step in the right direction. The simple fact is, Keith Butler is great at creating edge rushers and the Steelers need some.