Mike Tomlin has to find new ways to reshape his coaching staff this offseason, which will be happening over the next month or two. Matt Canada has been out as offensive coordinator for over a month now and little seems to be fixed since. Mason Rudolph seems to be showing that a proper quarterback can get this offense into gear.
Many reporters who cover the team claim that the Steelers will be all-in trying different approaches to filling out a proper coaching staff for Tomlin this offseason. That is the right call, even if some disagree with bringing Tomlin back. Fixing the offense starts with quality coaches, and the Steelers would slide in the right direction with these hires.
Steelers go pluck their offensive line coach form one of the best in the NFL
Pat Meyer has not been terrible as the Steelers offensive line coach, but his position has to be part of the change. The Steeler's offensive line has been solid when it comes to blocking for the run, but they routinely struggle against the pass. Meyer has been with the Steelers for a couple of years now, and things are not changing for the better. That normally means a change is in order.
There are plenty of names to monitor for this position gig, and many will again demand someone like Mike Munchak to return to Pittsburgh. That would be an ideal hire, but it is unknown if he would be interested in the coaching spot. It will likely be someone that has some experience and that can grow with this young offensive line group.
Steelers hire: Roy Istvan, Offensive line coach
Pittsburgh decides to go with someone who has worked with one of the best offensive line groups in recent years in Philadelphia. Andy Weidl worked for the Eagles before joining the Steelers, so it's possible that he knows some things about Roy Istvan. He is currently the Eagles assistant offensive line coach.
Istvan has a lot of experience both at the collegiate and professional levels. He has been a coordinator and offensive line coach for basically the entirety of his coaching career. He has not gotten a top job in the NFL for nearly 20 years now as he was the Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator from 2004-2005. He has a lot of experience and would be a great fit.
Pittsburgh decides to keep their top offensive coaches
Steelers hire: Retain Mike Sullivan, Quarterbacks coach
No matter how the Steelers season comes to a close, both Mike Sullivan and Eddie Faulkner have likely coached their way back onto this team. Neither has done an exceptional job as the in facto duel offensive coordinators since Canada was let go. Sullivan has been the quarterbacks coach for a couple of years now and could share the blame for Kenny Pickett's lack of improvement.
He has also seemed to gain some respect in the locker room and the players seem to like him. He should not be considered as the next top play caller for Pittsburgh, but he could retain his positional coaching spot. With how the season concluded it seems like Sullivan returning would make a lot of sense moving forward.
Steelers hire: Retain Eddie Faulkner, Running backs coach, run game coordinator
In this scenario, Eddie Faulkner gets a promotion. One of the best outcomes of the offense has been their two-headed monster at running back. Faulkner is part of the success of both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. He has not been a prime candidate since taking over the coordinator duties, but he has earned a return to the team.
Giving him another role to help the run game and add another specialty to his resume. Faulkner is a bright spot on the offensive coaching staff and he has handled the entire firing of Canada well. He might not get the offensive coordinator gig, but he should be able to at least retain his spot. He could even gain another title to his employment.
Steelers take bring some familiar faces into the fold at tight end and receivers coaches
Steelers hire: Retain Alfredo Roberts, Tight ends coach
Not everything has to change on the coaching staff, and this article is starting to show that. The tight-end group could see a change, but this area of the team is kind of hard to evaluate. Pat Freiermuth has missed a lot of this season due to injury. He has been playing at a productive level since returning from that injury and some of those flowers should go to Alfredo Roberts.
Darnell Washington is just a rookie, but he has been a solid run blocker for the most part and should be getting better. Roberts has been in Pittsburgh for a while now, and the Steelers seem to like him. He could be one of the shocking people let go if Pittsburgh wants to clean house. He is a good tight ends coach and should be back next year though.
Steelers hire: Hines Ward, Wide receivers coach
Hello there old friend as the black and gold decide to go with a familiar face to the receivers group. They are struggling to control the egos of many receivers on the team, so maybe some added leadership from Hines Ward will help ease those concerns. He has a lot more experience now and could get an NFL job sometime in the not-so-distant future.
He recently coached in the XFL as their top Head coach and has experience with a couple of NFL clubs and some collegiate experience too. Tomlin loves to hire guys that are former players and people that he is comfortable with. Hiring Ward could be seen as risky with the little amount of experience that he brings, but he would be a fan-favorite hire.
Mike Tomlin goes outside the box by expanding his coaching staff
Steelers hire: Byron Leftwich, Passing game coordinator and special assistant to the quarterbacks
Even before Canada was fired by the Steelers, the rumors of Byron Leftwich wishing to join the Steelers staff was a popular subject. He reportedly reached out to Pittsburgh with hopes of getting his foot in the door to take over as the offensive coordinator. It still seems likely that he will be a top candidate for the job when the hiring process occurs.
No matter how much Leftwich would like that job, it seems like he would be better off becoming the offensive version of Brian Flores of last year. He needs to get his foot in the door again in the coaching ranks and this would be a tremendous opportunity. If he can find a way to help Pittsburgh's offense get back on track then he will be in line for a coordinator spot in no time.
In this scenario, he would also be a special assistant to the quarterbacks. Mike Sullivan will be the quarterbacks coach, but Leftwich will be specifically in charge of trying to fix Pickett's career. One would have to imagine that the Steelers will try one last rodeo with Pickett as the starter no matter how the rest of the season plays out.
It seems likely that Leftwich will get another NFL opportunity this offseason and Tomlin has a history with the former quarterback. If he can find a way to change Pickett's career for the better then he will have plenty of NFL eyes on him. This would be a great chance to move in the right direction while also not having a huge responsibility on his shoulders.
Steelers go with a young and experienced offensive mind as offensive coordinator
Steelers hire: Klint Kubiak, Offensive coordinator
No matter how you slice it, the Steelers have to get their offensive coordinator hire right for the first time in decades. They continuously hire from within and with rumors of massive change this offseason, it seems like they might hire the best candidate possible. It is hard to not get your hopes up about different possibilities, but Pittsburgh hires a guy with NFL roots here.
Tomlin loves football families and that is what leads him to hire Klint Kubiak, who is the son of former NFL Head coach Garry Kubiak. He is currently the passing game coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, who are one of the best offenses in football. The Steelers need new and innovative minds and Kubiak should be able to do better as offensive coordinator this time around.
He was the coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 and then was let go. He has been working closely with Kyle Shanahan this season and should be able to transfer over some of the brilliance from his mind into his new job. This is one of the favorites to land the job in Pittsburgh if the organization decides to go outside the norm and hire someone from the outside.
With this type of offensive coaching staff in place, someone like Kubiak should be able to push this offense into a new stratosphere. The Steelers have to do things differently this time around and hopefully, Tomlin can get the resources he needs this offseason. Kubiak would be a great hire and someone who could help this offense buzz.