Steelers potential replacements at defensive coordinator if Teryl Austin gets fired

Jerod Mayo could land with the Steelers with hopes of becoming a HC

One of the best upcoming coaches in the NFL right now is Jerod Mayo. He is currently the inside linebackers coach with the New England Patriots. He was a good player and even won a Super Bowl during his time with the Patriots. He has gained some Head coaching buzz, but he might be able to solidify that by taking a job with the Steelers.

New England would like to keep him, but Pittsburgh could offer him a promotion and an opportunity to gain more experience in an elevated role. Mayo has all the potential in the world to become a top coach in the NFL sooner rather than later. Maybe his next step could be fixing the black and golds defense for a couple of years before landing a top job elsewhere.

Rex Ryan could jump back onto the football field after being in the studio

A lot of things would have to happen for Rex Ryan to end up in Pittsburgh as their new defensive coordinator. He is living life as an analyst on ESPN in a comfy studio. He has been able to do that for years since he was fired from his last coaching job. He has not been in the coaching ranks since 2016 and it is unknown if Ryan would be interested in returning to that.

Maybe after this amount of time away, he will get that itch back to coach in the NFL again. It is unlikely that any team would hire him for a top job after being out of it for so long, maybe a defensive job with the Steelers would entice him just enough to get out of the studio and back onto the sideline. Ryan was a quality defensive mind and could be a boost for the Steelers.