The Pittsburgh Steelers will undergo a rigorous search for a new offensive coordinator in the 2024 offseason. It is expected that Art Rooney II will get involved and make the decision with Head Coach Mike Tomlin. Eddie Faulkner and Mike Sullivan were immediately ruled out during Tomlin's end-of-season press conference and offensive assistant Glenn Thomas left the organization to join the University of Nebraska's coaching staff.
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Steelers President Art Rooney II roams the sidelines prior to a 2022 preseason matchup at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
That leaves no truly qualified individuals that are already in the building. An external hire is sure to happen; an occurrence that fans have been begging for in recent years. It could change the direction of the franchise for the better.
There will be big names potentially associated with the Steelers' interviewing process. The goal needs to be bringing in a bright, young offensive mind that has a track record of success at the professional level. Klint Kubiak, Eric Bieniemy and Darrell Bevell all might be looked at as top candidates. The Steelers are still the Steelers however, and going after a familiar face can never be ruled out.
There are plenty of offensive coaches throughout the league that can be connected to Pittsburgh and Tomlin, but not many options out there have actually played for and understand the organization. Super Bowl-winning wide receiver Antwaan Randle El is currently preparing to play in the NFC Championship game as he leads the Detroit Lions' wide receiving core.
One small potential issue is that Tomlin already stated that he would prefer someone who already has coordinating experience. are likely desire someone with coordinating experience already, especially based on the promotion of Matt Canada, who had none at the professional level at the time back in 2021. Randle El doesn't quite have that yet, but if there is a surprising hire coming, it's worth it to keep an eye on the former Super Bowl champion.
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Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson speaks to members of the media at the team's facility.
Randel El is attractive for a multitude of reasons. Ben Johnson is being looked at as the top head coaching candidate in the 2024 carousel other than big names like Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel and Jim Harbaugh. Randel El has been with Johnson since 2021 in Detroit and has had direct access to one of the best offensive minds in the league.
There's more than just the connection to Johnson that could make it worthwhile to at least interview Randel El. He has the familiarity with the Rooneys and the franchise, but teams he has coached on are also a total of 6-0 in the postseason. He won the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an offensive assistant, working directly alongside the best quarterback of all time, Tom Brady.
One also has to look at the receivers he has worked with during his professional coaching career. Names like Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Amon-Ra St. Brown are nothing to scoff at. On top of that, he spent time with Rob Gronkowski as well as former Steelers Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians while in Tampa.
Randel El has been working in an offense under Johnson that is aggressive and loves to generate splash plays. They don't just use the receiving core, but tight ends and running backs are heavily involved as well. He has had a front-row seat to offensive brilliance in 2023 and he could be ready to make the jump to make the play-calls for a team in desperate need of a spark. His lack of experience working directly with quarterbacks is a negative, but not a total deal-breaker.
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Former Steelers wide receiver, Antwaan Randle El tries to get the crowd pumped up during Super Bowl XLV against the Green Bay Packers at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, TX.
Steelers Need To Think Outside The Box With 2024 Offensive Coordinator Hire
Pittsburgh is going to look at coaches outside of the organization, but don't be surprised if the new play-caller has direct ties to the franchise. Randle El has been around winning locker rooms, well-coached teams, and Hall of Fame-caliber players since he became a coach in the NFL. If he is considered, a quarterback guru may also need to come in to help the growth of Kenny Pickett, but Randle El has proven he might be ready for the next step in his coaching career.
Would you want the Steelers interview Randle El for their opening offensive coordinator position? Let us know in the comments below!
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