With coaches being let go all over the league, the Pittsburgh Steelers need to bring in one particular offensive mind to help Kenny Pickett develop, and that would be the mind of Pep Hamilton. He was recently let go by DeMeco Ryans while searching for his new staff with the Houston Texans. Even though the Steelers have Matt Canada at offensive coordinator and Mike Sullivan at QB coach, Hamilton can be a key piece to this coaching staff and develop Pickett into a high-quality starter.
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Pep Hamilton has had his issues as offensive coordinator, but he has been a quarterback whisperer during his time in the NFL (except for the Cleveland Browns in 2016), and his one season as the head coach of the DC Defenders of the XFL. His most notable feats as coach include developing Andrew Luck, both in college and the NFL, as well as turning Justin Herbert into a high-end starter, especially with everyone considering him a draft bust.
When he was the QB coach of the Texans, Davis Mills looked like one of the better rookies of the supposedly stacked 2021 QB class. Mills fell off somewhat when Hamilton became the offensive coordinator, although having next to no talent didn't help matters much. In Pittsburgh, they have a QB that's more talented than Mills, along with much more offensive talent overall. Getting Kenny Pickett to improve would make the Steelers' offense become an actual force in the league.
In the same off-season that Canada and Sullivan were hired, Hamilton was interviewed for both OC and QB coach. Hamilton chose to go to Houston instead of Pittsburgh, which means something went seriously wrong in the interview. Whatever the problem was then, whether it was money, or some of the other assistants, the Steelers need to fix that as soon as possible, so they can get their much-needed quarterback guru.
What makes Hamilton a good fit for the Steelers?
Even though the Steelers won't fire coaches and Mike Tomlin has said that he's not interested in a senior offensive assistant, why should he let Hamilton slip away from his grasp again? This is the perfect chance for Tomlin to bring in the offensive mind that he desperately needs, and to silence some critics that say he has no ability to find quality offensive coaches, including Jerome Bettis.
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One thing that the Steelers love in their coaching staff is loyalty and long-term presence. After his latest stint as OC, there's a good chance that no other team will hire him to a better role. If the Steelers can make him the senior offensive assistant, along with QB coach once Sullivan is out of that role, he will likely be with the Steelers for many years to come. He'd be able to develop many backup quarterbacks as well, for when/if Pickett gets hurt.
The coaching staff is as inexperienced as the roster, so a veteran coach such as Hamilton would be able to help as a second-in-command type role, as well as developing all the QB's that the Steelers bring in. With Mason Rudolph being a free agent and Mitch Trubisky likely getting cut, the Steelers will be looking around for some quality backups, and hiring Hamilton should make it easier on them, with how well he can develop quarterback talent.
Whatever issues came from the interview in the 2021 off-season need to be patched. If Hamilton gets hired elsewhere and develops a different quarterback, this would be yet another failure for a weak coaching staff that is a little too used to failure. Hiring Pep Hamilton would have a much bigger impact than any free agent that the Steelers can sign.
What do you think of Pep Hamilton, and do you think the Steelers should hire him? Let us know in the comments.
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