The Pittsburgh Steelers insist they are not chasing trends. They are innovating standards. And as uncomfortable as it may be for a franchise rooted in patience and continuity, the aftermath of the San Francisco 49ers' stunning 41–6 collapse against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night should force clarity in Pittsburgh’s evolving head coach search.
The Steelers are preparing for reality after Mike Tomlin. Art Rooney II and Omar Khan are tasked with a delicate balance: honoring tradition while modernizing the structure that sustains it. That means innovation matters—but so does proof. And after watching the 49ers unravel on the biggest stage, it is fair to say Klay Kubiak and Robert Saleh should be removed from serious consideration.
This is not reactionary.
A divisional round loss alone does not disqualify anyone. Kubiak and Saleh led a team deeper into January than Pittsburgh’s staff managed, comfortably dispatching Philadelphia during Wild Card weekend. Their regular-season résumés are legitimate. Kubiak earned praise for adaptive play-calling under constant injury strain. It earned him a requested interview.
Saleh’s defense was widely viewed as fast, violent, and disciplined. That combination is attractive during the hiring cycle. Pittsburgh has not announced interest in him publicly, but speculation of a partnership has stirred conversation.
But Saturday night might have exposed both coaches under the playoffs lights.
The Pittsburgh Steelers must cross Klay Kubiak and Robert Saleh off the Head Coach wish list
For starters, San Francisco failed to reach the red zone.
That is not variance—it is paralysis. Turnovers (3), leaky pass protection, and an offense that never adjusted once Seattle seized momentum defined Kubiak’s night. George Kittle’s absence mattered, but excuses ring hollow when the identity is built on “creating with nothing.” In the season’s biggest moment, the creativity vanished. The offense hit a wall, and Kubiak had no counterpunch.
On the other side, Robert Saleh’s unit did nothing to stop the bleeding. Seattle averaged 5.9 yards per play, controlled tempo from the opening drive, and faced little resistance. Kenneth Walker III ran through clean lanes for 116 yards and three touchdowns. There were no takeaways. No momentum-swinging moments. The defense looked overwhelmed, out-schemed, and—most concerning—emotionally flat.
For Steelers fans, that image is uncomfortably familiar.
The onslaught during the NFC West divisional round mirrored Pittsburgh’s own 30–6 Wild Card embarrassment. An offense suffocated and underdeveloped. A defense with talent but no answers once the game tilted. Different uniforms, same helpless feeling. If the goal of this search is to avoid repeating cycles, then ignoring those parallels would be negligent.
Pittsburgh’s coaching evaluation must be intentional and unsentimental. Years of similar results have clearly pushed the front office toward change—not recklessness, but flavor. Something Arthur Smith’s offense and Teryl Austin’s defense never consistently delivered. The numbers tell the story: 17th in points per game (22.4) and 28th in opponents’ yards per game (360.8). Mediocrity masked as stability.
The Steelers do not just need a scheme. They need leadership that elevates players when the lights are unforgiving. Klay Kubiak and Robert Saleh proved their systems can function over 17 games. What they did not prove Saturday night is that they can survive January pressure.
For a franchise determined to build something better, that distinction matters