Pryor: Steelers Likely Interested In These Coordinators Who "Check All The Boxes"

The Pittsburgh Steelers did something in 2023 they haven't done since the United States was embroiled in World War II, fire a coach midseason. After underperforming for two and a half seasons Head Coach Mike Tomlin made a nearly unprecedented decision to fire Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada after a disappointing Week 11 loss to the Cleveland Browns. The fact that Tomlin broke from tradition has now given way to hope that he will break from another, promoting from within. Tomlin told the media at his end-of-season press conference that he plans to look outside of the organization. Longtime Steelers reporter, and ESPN contributor, Brooke Pryor shared her thoughts on the upcoming hire and who she thinks is a strong contender.  

Pryor, who has been covering the Steelers for several years, said despite the NFL becoming more of a passing league, she doesn't expect Pittsburgh to give up their run game. The Steelers' brand of offense has long been a smashmouth style, running the ball down opponent's throats.     

As they search for a new coordinator, they have to consider more than the run game. They also have to think about their young quarterback Kenny Pickett, and the almost accidental quarterback controversy that was created at the end of the season when Mason Rudolph stepped up and outperformed the two players ahead of him on the roster. 

Steelers Have A Lot Of Options, But Not A Lot Of Time

The Steelers, and every other team in the NFL that needs a coordinator, have to race the clock a little bit. Pittsburgh made it to the Wild Card Round of the playoffs and that set them a week behind teams that didn't make it into the postseason. Now they have to quickly evaluate the available candidates and meet with them, hopefully being able to lock up the perfect fit before someone else nabs them. 

To find balance, Pryor expects the team to consider all of the talent they have on this roster. During the 2022-2023 offseason, General Manager Omar Khan worked his magic and brought in some significant offensive talent, both in free agency and the NFL Draft, including Isaac Seumalo, Broderick Jones, and Darnell Washington. When you add these players to Najee Harris, Pat Freiermuth, Jaylen Warren, George Pickens, and Diontae Johnson, the team becomes something special. What they are lacking is leadership, someone to tie them all together. 

That leads to Pryor's topic picks. She says these are the candidates that fans should "keep an eye on" and to her are the ones that check all the boxes. 

Eric Bieniemy, who is currently the assistant head coach/offensive coordinator of the Washington Commanders, is at the top of her list. He was also a part of the high-powered Kansas City Chiefs offense before Washington. 

"Bieniemy is known for innovative, high-output schemes, a tough love leadership style, and his role helping Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to win two Super Bowls in three appearances."  

While Bieniemy is still under contract with Washington, Head Coach Ron Rivera was recently fired and that makes his position there tenuous. She thinks that he could be a good balance to Tomlin's defensive style. 

Thomas Brown is next on her list. The Carolina Panthers' offensive coordinator spent time working for Sean McVay in Los Angeles. While the Panthers did not have a great season, he was able to coach improvement out of rookie quarterback Bryce Young. 

"Those closest to Brown see Tomlin-like leadership and personality qualities in the rising star, and he's already interviewed for several head-coaching openings in the last two hiring cycles."

Klint Kubiak, the San Francisco 49ers pass game specialist is third on her list. He is young, only 36, but has a lot of experience. He comes from Kyle Shanahan's coaching tree, plus his father Gary Kubiak practically created play-action offense. 

He runs a strong, balanced offense that would make the most out of all those weapons she mentioned, and get Pickett involved in play-action. Unfortunately for the Steelers, Kubiak cannot interview until the 49ers' postseason run ends.

Darrell Bevell, currently the Miami Dolphins pass game coordinator is next. He has been in the NFL for 27 years and has been an offensive coordinator with four teams. He has even been an interim head coach. He has helped to develop Trevor Lawrence, Tua Tagovailoa, Marshawn Lynch, and Adrian Peterson. 

Alex Van Pelt was the Browns offensive coordinator and certainly knows the AFC North. He helped develop the Browns' dominating run game over the past few seasons. While Head Coach Kevin Stefanski was the primary play-caller, Van Pelt helped the Browns have a top-5 ground game in three of the last four seasons.

Arthur Smith was recently fired from the Atlanta Falcons as their head coach. Despite that, he is considered to have an innovative offensive approach. Pryor notes that some of his play-calling in Atlanta was confusing, but noted that he managed to put points on the board regardless. 

Ken Dorsey was fired by the Buffalo Bills midseason from their offensive coordinator position after the team went 5-5. However, as Pryor points out, he did help develop Josh Allen and averaged 27.7 points per game in 2022. 

Luke Getsy is the Chicago Bears offensive coordinator. Pryor admits that the Bears were terrible the past few seasons, but their ground game was strong. In 2022, they led the league with an average of 177 yards per game. 

Pryor does drop a few other honorable mention names including Zac Robinson, who was already called by the Steelers, Joe Bleymaier, Shea Tierney, and Chris O'Hara.

Tomlin's future might rest on knocking this selection out of the park. The team cannot afford to have another ho-hum season where little progress is made on any offensive front. 

What do you think of Pryor's possibilities? Who is your dream coordinator? Click to comment below. 

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