Steelers Coach Enters Hot Seat As His Unit Faces Intense Pressure To Start 2025 NFL Season

We are just a few days away from kickoff and the Pittsburgh Steelers are finishing up their preparation for a battle with the New York Jets. There is a lot of optimism as well, despite uncertainty surrounding the Steelers heading into the season in regards to the newly shaped roster. With new names on both sides of the ball, a lot of pressure falls on the Steelers' coaching staff to make sure the team is ready, and one coach in particular is facing intense pressure with his unit in 2025. That's Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin. 

Austin is entering his fourth year as Pittsburgh’s defensive coordinator, and while he’s had some decent results, fans are still waiting for that elite, suffocating defense that Steelers football has always been known for. Last season ended in embarrassing fashion when the Steelers' defense gave up 299 rushing yards in a Wild Card loss to the Baltimore Ravens. That kind of performance had fans calling for Austin to be fired, and it left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth all offseason.

The Steelers made some moves this offseason with the hopes of improving the defense. General Manager Omar Khan traded away Minkah Fitzpatrick in exchange for Jalen Ramsey, signed Brandin Echols and Juan Thornhill, while also drafting defensive linemen Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black. Austin has the pieces for the Steelers to become a truly elite defense in 2025, but can he put all the pieces together?

On a recent interview with 93.7 The Fan, Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo said Austin is facing a make-or-break year in 2025.

"There is a ton of pressure, not only on Terryl Austin, but Mike Tomlin for the comments he made earlier this summer about this defense potentially doing historic things," said Fittipaldo. "I think Austin's going into the last year of his contract, so the pressure is on."

Austin isn’t just dealing with normal expectations, he’s got the weight of Mike Tomlin’s own words hanging over him. When your head coach goes public about the defense being capable of "historic" things, and you currently have the highest-paid defense in the NFL, you need better results. Tomlin later clarified his comments via Steelers.com, mentioning that the team simply can't run from expectations. With that being said, the pressure is still on for Austin.

To be fair, Austin’s defenses haven’t been bad. In fact, the Steelers have finished top-10 in points allowed in each of the last three seasons, but the yardage totals tell a different story. The defense has failed to crack the top-12 in total yards given up every year under Austin. In other words, the group has been good, but not great. They’ve forced turnovers and held teams to low scores at times, but against the NFL’s best offenses, they’ve struggled to get off the field. That weakness has been especially costly late in the season and playoffs.

Steelers' Defensive Success Will Depend On TJ Watt

Another major storyline for Austin is how he handles All-Pro linebacker TJ Watt. Watt is still the face of the defense, but many fans believe the coaching staff hasn’t used him creatively enough. Week after week, he was routinely lined up in the same exact spot across from the opponents' right tackle, making it easier for offenses to scheme against him. Watt still produced, but not at the historic level fans have grown accustomed to. He signed a massive extension this summer, so expectations are sky-high once again.

If Austin wants to turn this defense into the elite unit, finding new ways to unleash Watt will be key. Moving him around, disguising looks, and forcing offenses to constantly guess where he’s coming from could be the difference between good and great. Watt is capable of wrecking games on his own, the job of the coaching staff is to make sure opponents can’t take him out of the equation.

Do you think this is a make-or-break season for Terryl Austin? Let us know in the comments!

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