The Pittsburgh Steelers were eliminated embarrassingly by the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round of the NFL Playoffs last Monday night. They managed to score just six points on offense thanks to two Chris Boswell field goals. The defense fought hard, but ultimately ran out of gas in the fourth quarter. The Steelers' season now comes to an end, but they are set for a hectic offseason. Not only will the Steelers host the 2026 NFL Draft, but they must also find a new head coach after Mike Tomlin stepped down on Tuesday. Owner Art Rooney II and General Manager Omar Khan will have their work cut out for them in the 2026 offseason.
youtube / Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Tomlin speaking to the media following the Steelers' 35-25 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
The Steelers franchise has always prided itself on defense. Their three head coaches since 1969 have all specialized on the defensive side of the ball. The Steelers have had some of the best defenses in NFL history, but lately, their defensive approach has gone stale. The Steelers ranked 26th in total defense despite spending the most money in the NFL on that side of the ball. They have had the most expensive defense for a few seasons now, but that has gotten the franchise nowhere.
Former Steelers quarterback and all-time great Ben Roethlisberger, on his podcast, Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger, recently talked about the Tomlin news and what the Steelers do now. Roethlisberger gave the Steelers advice on potentially changing their philosophy and even bringing in a former player to help make that leap.
"Is there a former Steeler that's coaching who would be a good candidate? I think of like Hines Ward. Hines Ward is out there in Arizona State coaching, doing a great job out there," Roethlisberger explained. "Maybe it's something where it's like, hey let's give him a shot. Maybe not as a head coach, but we encourage you to bring him in, you know, as an offensive coordinator guy."
The Steelers haven't been able to figure out the offensive side of the ball consistently since Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season. They have had no stability at quarterback, the most critical position in football. They are likely to continue this trend, with Aaron Rodgers unlikely to come back. The Steelers need to give themselves an advantage on offense with an offense-minded head coach.
Mitchell Leff / Getty Images
Former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin smiles while walking off the field with quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Seven of the last 10 Super Bowl-winning head coaches have been offensive-minded. Six of those have come in the previous six seasons. The Steelers must change their philosophy and adapt to the new age of football.
Steelers Have Plenty Of Options
The NFL is currently filled with tons of great offensive minds. Kyle Shanahan, Ben Johnson, Sean McVay, and Liam Coen, just to name a few. A lot of these coaches come from the same coaching tree. The Steelers have already requested two coaches from the Los Angeles Rams: their passing game coordinator, Nate Scheelhaas, and their defensive coordinator, Chris Shula. Obviously, the Steelers should look for offensive-minded guys, but these two names would likely be a package deal: head coach and offensive coordinator.
John McCoy / AP photo
Rams Defensive Coordinator Chris Shula roams the sideline while coaching his unit.
The Steelers could also look at guys such as Klint Kubiak, the offensive coordinator for the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks. Or Jacksonville Jaguars Offensive Coordinator Grant Udinski, who helped guide the Jaguars to 13 wins this season. San Francisco 49ers Offensive Coordinator Klay Kubiak is also a top offensive option. The Steelers are likely to bring in a first-time head coach. Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher were also first-time head coaches, along with Tomlin. When the Steelers hired Tomlin, he was the youngest head coach in the NFL. It is likely they go after one of the young offensive guys, like the ones mentioned, either of the Kubiak brothers or Udinski. With the NFL Combine looming, the Steelers' search should come to an end in the coming weeks. Then we will finally have our answer.
What do you think? Should the Steelers listen to Roethlisberger? Should they change their philosophy? Should they go after one of the names mentioned, or someone else? Let us know in the comments.
#SteelerNation