The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to be on the brink of yet another total collapse, as they have given up over 30 points in back-to-back games, each of which they lost. Blame is being thrown around everywhere from coaching, to Darius Slay, to injuries across the board. In the end, it seems like nobody has any idea of why this unit has been uncharacteristically bad, which means they can't fix it unless they get incredibly lucky. The defense may be unfixable until after the season is over, but something still needs to change.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Darius Slay during 2025 Organized Team Activities.
In his recent mailbag, insider Brian Batko was asked about the idea of the Steelers hiring a consultant. He loved the idea, but acknowledged that it goes against everything the team brass believes in.
"In my opinion, it couldn’t possibly hurt," Batko said. "But I’ve been on that kick about expanding the coaching staff and making better/more experienced/more creative hires for a long time now. So it doesn’t strike me as likely at all, and thus there’s not much use in playing armchair Tomlin by making suggestions for the fun of it."
Batko also mentioned that unemployed coaches get brought in midseason as consultants all the time, as other teams will do everything they can to fix the issues on the team. The way that the Steelers have done things of late has not worked at all, and they need to continue to adjust, being open to anything that could possible help out the franchise.
AP Photo
Pittsburgh Steelers Owner Art Rooney II (left) and Head Coach Mike Tomlin (right) oversee practice during the 2021 minicamp in Pittsburgh, PA.
At the end of the day, this defense feels absolutely lost. Every single person associated with this unit is at fault in some way. The scheming and play-calling have been very controversial, the execution has maybe been worse, and there are still communication issues weekly. Head Coach Mike Tomlin seriously needs more help. If he refuses that help, his defense may never recover.
Steelers' Options For Defensive Consultant
The Steelers could use a younger defensive mind with fresh ideas. Jerod Mayo may not have been a great head coach, but he worked well as a co-defensive play-caller for the New England Patriots before his promotion. He has been around some great defenses as a player and a coach. He could provide some new ideas that Tomlin may or may not consider without an outside voice helping him out.
Batko also spoke about how offensive and defensive sides can switch as a consultant and give the other unit a new perspective into the minds of their opponents. There are way more quality offensive minds currently available than quality defensive minds. That would be the easier option, and maybe it could work well in Pittsburgh.
Michael Conroy / AP photo
Former Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson was let go by the team on January 5, 2025.
The Steelers have tried to use the Philadelphia Eagles' blueprint, so why not bring in one of their Super Bowl winning head coaches? Doug Pederson had lots of influence with his high-powered championship offense, so he could bring that perspective to a defense that seems to not understand how teams like to play them. If they can learn to stop the best, they can be the best.
On that same train of thought, Mike McCarthy could come back to his hometown and help teach the defense all the tricks he would use against them. Like Pederson and Mayo, he's not exactly a great option for head coach, but he did well overall when calling offensive plays for his teams. He has plenty of secrets that the Steelers' defense probably does not know. As long as he stays out of Aaron Rodgers' way, it could work.
What do you think about the idea of the Steelers hiring a consultant to work with their defense? Do you think Tomlin and Austin would finally get the help they need? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
#SteelerNation
