The Pittsburgh Steelers have been known for having one of the smallest front offices and coaching staffs in the NFL. A lot of that stems from Owner and Team President Art Rooney II for supposedly being a very cheap owner. While there is such a thing as too many cooks in the kitchen, you still don't want to overwork all of your coaches, especially your head coach. Mike Tomlin has his fair share of flaws, but some of those could be lessened if he hired people to handle some of those issues for him.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Team President Art Rooney II (left) and Head Coach Mike Tomlin (right) oversee practice during the 2021 minicamp in Pittsburgh.
During his end-of-season press conference, Rooney was asked about the size of the coaching staff. He chose to stay stubborn to his cheap ways and defend it.
Of the possible changes to help the team get over the hump, Art Rooney II says increasing the size of the Steelers' coaching staff -- one of the smallest in the league -- isn't on the table:
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) January 27, 2025
"I just don't see that holding us back. I don't think that's our problem. "
Rooney also mentioned that the staff isn't the smallest in the league, as they have 27 members on their staff. However, their official website shows 24 members on the coaching staff. If you don't include strength and conditioning coaches, that number drops to 19.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith looks on while coaching up his offense during a home game in Pittsburgh, PA at Acrisure Stadium in the 2024 NFL season.
The Steelers have quite a few coaches that have expiring contracts, including defensive line coach Karl Dunbar. While Pittsburgh definitely needs some sort of shake-up, getting rid of one of the better position coordinators on the team is not the right idea. They need to add new voices; not subtract the talent they have on the sidelines.
Tomlin himself has issues with the Xs and Os part of the game. However, the Steelers can't expect him to be great at every single aspect. He is exceptional at player relation and motivation. If Tomlin can focus on that while someone else handles game planning and play-calling, the Steelers could take that next step.
Even if Tomlin is the one hiring, Rooney has the power to step in and at least ask Tomlin to go and find some outside help. There is absolutely no reason for the Steelers to use the same outdated ideas over and over again.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin (left) standing with Owner and Team President Art Rooney II (right) before a press conference.
However, Rooney accidentally said the quiet part out loud. There was no consideration on if Tomlin wanted that extra outside help or not. Instead, the owner said that that idea is not an option for them. He is the one that is refusing to add more to this barebones operation and letting his head coach rot away with no change.
Steelers Players Are Tired Of Ownership Per NFL Survey
In the 2024 NFLPA survey, Rooney received multiple Fs on an overall terrible report card. The only thing that was ranked in the top 15 in the league was Tomlin himself, who was ranked fifth. Sure, the Steelers are merely outperforming the mean on the field, but in the facilities, they are super cheap, and it shows.
Ownership itself was ranked 31st in the league. The players are tired of Rooney being this way. However, that does not matter. As long as the Steelers make a profit, all of this criticism means nothing. They win at least nine games every season. They make money on ticket sales and jersey sales.
Rooney's comments show that nothing will actually change. That would require spending money. He decided that the coaching staff is big enough and that's that. Some fans argue that the only reason that he has respect around the league is likely his last name.
What do you think about Rooney being cheap with the coaching staff? Let us know in the comments.
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