Steelers' Idea To Let Go Of Aaron Curry Now Seriously In Question: "It Did Seem Curious"

Pittsburgh Steelers fans have been pounding their fists and demanding change since the end of the 2024 season. The year started full of optimism, as the team began 10-3. However, that all came crashing down. They not only lost their final four regular season games, but also lost in the first round of the playoffs again. 

This had fans demanding that Art Rooney II fire Head Coach Mike Tomlin. However, that always felt unlikely; the Steelers don't operate that way. Pittsburgh tends to maintain loyalties to those they employ. Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith was finishing his first season with the team, and Teryl Austin is still under contract, so while possible, that seemed off the table. That left only assistant and positional coaches, and fans began mulling over which should go. 

Then news broke that the one name fans never mentioned was the coach who was leaving the Steel City, Aaron Curry. Since 2023, Curry has been the Steelers' inside linebackers coach, but he was recently hired as the linebackers coach for the New York Jets. Longtime Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly from The Pat McAfee Show told the 93.7 The Fan Morning Show that he was shocked by the move, although Curry is a rising star in the league. 

"They promised changes, and we got Aaron Curry leaving," said Kaboly. "I thought they liked him too, that's why I was shocked. I'm thinking maybe he has ties to Aaron Glenn, but he doesn't. Does he have any ties there [Defensive Coordinator Steve Wilks]? I don't think so. Unless the Jets offered him more money, that could be it. His contract was up, let's see who they bring in to replace him, maybe that sheds some light onto whose idea it was. I just don't think that it was the Steelers' idea. I think Aaron Curry just, maybe he likes New York. I don't know. It did seem curious."

Curry has an outstanding rapport with his players because he understands what they are going through. He was a first-round pick in 2009 by the Seattle Seahawks. Unfortunately, his NFL career never took off, and he retired after only five lackluster seasons. However, his coaching career flourished quickly. He started coaching at Charlotte, where he crossed paths with Alex Highsmith and Larry Ogunjobi. The three were reunited in Pittsburgh. He seemed happy working with Tomlin and the Steelers, so the move does seem surprising. 

The Jets recently hired Aaron Glenn as their new head coach. He has been a part of the Detroit Lions' meteoric rise to success over the past few seasons as their defensive coordinator. He has been busy pulling together some of the best and the brightest to flesh out his staff. While this feels like a lateral move, as Kaboly pointed out, the Steelers have employed an outside and insider linebacker coach, while some teams, like the Jets, just have a linebackers coach. 

Steelers' Expensive Defense Needs Help

The Steelers might have had the most expensive defense in the league in 2024, but that doesn't mean they don't need help in 2025. They struggled when they faced some of the best teams in the league, and Cameron Heyward admitted that the team just didn't "gel."

Now they have to find Curry's replacement for a group that was finally improving with the addition of free agent acquisition, Patrick Queen. For the first time in several seasons, the inside linebackers weren't the weakest part of the defense. 

Heyward said there are many things that need to be cleaned up on the defense, and there are some difficult decisions to make. The defensive line is aging and Rooney recently told the media the team plans to focus on draft capital there in 2025. 

Why do you think Curry went to the Jets? Click to comment below. 

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