The Pittsburgh Steelers are still in the middle of their search for a new offensive coordinator. As opposed to previous years, they are making a conscious effort to go outside of the organization to find the man to lead this young unit. Jerrod Johnson has garnered a lot of attention for how his rookie quarterback, C.J. Stroud, has dominated the league in his first season.
Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud takes a snap against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2 next to left guard Kendrick Green.
Stroud knows that he could possibly be losing his quarterbacks coach to another team this offseason. Despite that, he gave endless praise to Johnson, claiming that his coaching changed his life entirely.
"Jerrod's one thing for me was 'Be confident.' At that time, I wasn't really the highest recruit. I wasn't who I would become. I always knew that it would be a possibility, but I didn't hear those types of drives. Jerrod's someone I looked up to. When he was like, 'Man, you need to be more confident,' it changed my life, and fast forward, I'm here with him my rookie year. It's a blessing to work with him. Whatever happens, I'm excited for him, and he deserves everything that's coming for him."
Even though Johnson has only one year of experience as a quarterbacks coach, he has done a lot to get Stroud going and to help the Houston Texans go from cellar-dwellers, to a team that put up 45 points in a playoff game. Stroud's efficiency and talent was the main reason for that sudden surge, but that surge clearly doesn't happen without Johnson helping him out.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers had no answer for rookie C.J. Stroud during their Week 4 matchup, despite Stroud having been sacked 11 times coming into the game.
In fact, a lot of the stuff that Johnson taught Stroud came from his high school days, when Stroud was in the Elite 11 program. He wasn't one of the top options for colleges looking for a quarterback, and Johnson helped change that for him.
"I've known Jerrod since I was 16. I was in Elite 11 with him. He was my quarterback coach there. One thing that I could say about Jerrod, you talk about somebody who knows how to play the position of quarterback and knows how to relay something, a guy who loves football."
Even though Johnson would be just one year removed from being hired as quarterbacks coach in Houston, the Steelers could really use a guy like him. It's safe to say that Kenny Pickett's development has stagnated after a promising end to his rookie season. Mason Rudolph did well at the end of 2023, but a couple of above-average performances might not be enough to believe in him long-term as a franchise quarterback.
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) helps lead the team to a victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18.
Could The Steelers' Offense Be Fixed Under Johnson?
Both Pickett and Rudolph have plenty of talent. However, working under Matt Canada has done much more harm than good. There is still time to try and solve the quarterback situation in Pittsburgh, whether they stick with their current options, or find someone else this offseason. There is a lot of work that needs to be done, and whoever the Steelers hire as their next offensive coordinator will have their work cut out for them.
If Johnson can take what he did with Stroud and replicate it with Pickett, Rudolph, or someone else under center for the black and gold, the Steelers could turn into a quality offensive unit again. Stroud certainly thinks he can do it. If the Steelers overlook his lack of coaching experience, then that level of improvement could be a reality. It would be a risk, but with the results that Johnson produced in Houston, it could be worth it in the long run.
What do you think of Stroud's comments on how Jerrod Johnson helped turn him into a great quarterback? Can he do the same thing in Pittsburgh? Let us know in the comments.
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