The Pittsburgh Steelers could soon find Mike Tomlin's long-term replacement. Unfortunately, the most recent news involving the team's head coaching search is also the most concerning.
After Steelers fans grew concerned with the team's reported interest in 62-year-old head coach Mike McCarthy, the latest buzz just went from bad to worse. The Steelers have interest in Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver for their head coaching position.
Recently, ESPN's Dan Orlovsky gushed over Weaver and said 'sign me up for Weaver in Pittsburgh.' The Steelers met with Weaver for an in-person interview on Friday, via Dianna Russini of The Athletic—Weaver's second interview with the team. Art Rooney II and Omar Khan now have the green light to name a head coach before the end of the weekend, should they choose to do so.
But hiring Weaver would be a disaster, and it might be time for Steelers fans to hit the panic button.
The Pittsburgh Steelers cannot afford to hire Anthony Weaver as their next head coach
If you have gotten a chance to listen to Weaver talk in press conferences, you're sure to come away impressed. Like Mike Tomlin, Weaver has a way with words. It's not hard to see why players would buy into his message.
Weaver is all about physicality, and there's a reason he's getting so much head coaching buzz around the league: his message resonates. He has the voice, presence, and charisma that can command the locker room.
But he's missing the most important thing.
While many can't say enough good things about Weaver's leadership qualities, the defensive coordinator hasn't produced great defenses. That feels like a staple to the job of a defensive-minded head coach.
In 2025 with the Miami Dolphins, Weaver's defense ranked 25th in EPA per play, 24th in DVOA, 24th in points allowed, 22nd in yards allowed, and 26th in yards per play allowed.
Some have argued that this is because the Dolphins lacked significant talent to work with. Though this may be true, Weaver wasn't able to get his unit to go above and beyond what was expected, and playing 'tough' didn't keep his defense from getting picked on by opposing offenses all year.
This included the Pittsburgh Steelers, who put up 28 points and 336 yards of offense, while Aaron Rodgers put up his second-highest passer rating of the season (122.4) in Week 14 against Miami.
Before spending the past two years as the Dolphins' defensive coordinator, Weaver was the DC of the Houston Texans in 2020. However, in two of his three seasons as a DC, Weaver has recorded a bottom-10 defense. The Texans had the 30th-ranked total defense and 27th-ranked scoring defense during his brief run in Houston.
Weaver might say all of the right things while winning over players and ownership, but the Pittsburgh Steelers aren't running for office, and they don't need a politician.
This is a results-based league, and Anthony Weaver hasn't produced results. If the Steelers make him their next head coach, fans will have reason to worry about this team's future.