Steelers Can't Make the Wrong Hire at Offensive Coordinator (Again...)
The Steelers were granted their Canadian independence during the season when Matt Canada was fired in mid-November in an unprecedented move for the Steelers franchise.
While the offense saw a spark with Mike Sullivan and Eddie Faulkner splitting the duties for the remainder of the season, the product on the field was not good enough for either to get the job in 2024. Sullivan is not expected to return to the team in any capacity.
As of this writing, Mike Tomlin appears to be more interested in young, up-and-coming coaches from well-respected coaching trees. It's a positive first step to look outside of the building for once at the position. There's further confidence in who Tomlin is choosing to interview to potentially get the job.
With Zac Robinson from the Shanahan tree, Thomas Brown (Carolina Panthers 2023 OC) from the McVay tree, and, arguably the biggest surprise, Kliff Kingsbury as the candidates so far, Tomlin is showing he's serious about upgrading the offense's identity to something modern and explosive.
Robinson and Brown make the most sense, as both come from offenses that like to run the ball and get under center, utilizing play action. Kingsbury's college-style Air Raid-esque system is a questionable fit, not just in Pittsburgh, but in the NFL. Still, many candidates remain, and many in the fanbase want to see Klint Kubiak interviewed.
Regardless, the bottom line is that Pittsburgh can't make the wrong decision for a third consecutive time. As divisive as Todd Haley was when he was in charge of the offense, at least his offenses reliably moved the ball by putting it in the hands of the playmakers. Since his departure in 2017, everything has been downhill for Pittsburgh. Randy Fichtner was a disaster for Ben Roethlisberger's final stretch and somehow Matt Canada was even worse.
Missing again closes the book on Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph if they are the only quarterbacks on the roster. It makes the Najee Harris first-round selection even more damning. It likely runs George Pickens out of town. Finally, in three years' time, the fanbase will be right back where it started, wondering when we'll see an offense comparable to the Ravens, Chiefs, Bills, Lions and 49ers.