Art Rooney II spoke to the media for his end-of-season presser. The Pittsburgh Steelers team present addressed a number of topics—none bigger than the team's unstable quarterback situation.
Rooney II also gave a glowing endorsement of Mike Tomlin. But when asked about possible changes to help the Steelers get over the hump, Rooney insisted that increasing the size of one of the NFL's smallest coaching staffs isn't on the table.
"I just don't see that holding us back," Art Rooney II told the media during his press conference. "I don't think that's our problem. "
The size of Pittsburgh's coaching staff has come into question often in recent years. The Steelers have just 18 official on-field coaches after Tomlin. In comparison, teams who made deep playoff runs this year had notably more. The Commanders have 23 coaches and the Bills have 20. Meanwhile, both Super Bowl-bound teams—the Chiefs and the Eagles—have 22 coaches on staff.
Steelers president Art Rooney II needs to get with the times
For most of these teams, this includes added offensive assistants, passing game coordinators, or even coaches with the title of assistant head coach. The old-school Steelers are getting left in the dust.
While nobody can say for sure that a tiny coaching staff is a primary factor as to why this team has struggled to get over the hump, it's not a good look. Since when does a billion-dollar business turn down extra helping hands?
At the very least, the process is incorrect... and we know this team has its share of issues.
Arthur Smith's offense crumbled down the stretch and finished as a below-average unit in comparison to the rest of the league. Meanwhile, Teryl Austin's defensive gameplans were grounds for divorce from the team as he insisted on playing sub-package defense against the Ravens—who rushed for 299 yards against Pittsburgh in the playoffs.
Just a thought, but perhaps bringing in a few innovative minds outside of the organization could help ensure the Steelers are a well-oiled machine that is amply prepared for every game.
Instead of paving a path of ingenuity, the Steelers had a team that statistically ranked among the NFL average while losing five straight games (including the playoffs) to close the 2024 season.
If it's not working, the Steelers need to fix something... and it's clearly not working. Why Art Rooney II would completely shut down the idea of increasing the size of his coaching staff is anyone's guess.