The Pittsburgh Steelers hired just their fourth head coach since 1969 on Saturday. Pittsburgh native Mike McCarthy was named the next head coach in the Steel City. While the hiring was quite underwhelming for the majority of the fan base, it could provide an intriguing path to improve the Steelers in one specific area.
Associated Press
Steelers new Head Coach Mike McCarthy catching up with his former Quarterback Aaron Rodgers while coaching the Dallas Cowboys.
Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette mentioned one name in particular that the Steelers were originally looking at for their head-coaching position. It's possible that he could now join McCarthy's staff in Pittsburgh. Batko tabbed Los Angeles Rams passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase as a potential member of the new regime in Pittsburgh.
The hiring of Scheelhaase as offensive coordinator would be a promotion to his current title. The Steelers could use an overhaul on offense, especially considering their recent playoff outings. While the Steelers are searching for their first playoff victory in nearly a decade, Scheelhaase could be an interesting option to upgrade the offense should McCarthy pry him away from Sean McVay's staff in Los Angeles.
"No connection to McCarthy as far as we can tell, but he bears leading this list given the known interest from the Steelers in their head-coaching search," Batko wrote. "Scheelhaase is the pass-game coordinator and mainly works with the receivers for the Los Angeles Rams, so this would be a bump up in title. But having a seat on the Sean McVay Express is pretty nice."
Scheelhaase was a trendy name when the Steelers began their head coaching search. He is a young, up-and-coming offensive mind, which is a trend in the NFL coaching searches nowadays. The Chicago Bears hired former Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson and he led Chicago to a full turnaround in his first season. The Bears, who were 5-12 in 2024, won the NFC North division in 2025. Much of that success was due to the innovation Johnson provided for the Bears.
Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images
Los Angeles Rams Passing Game Coordinator Nate Scheelhaase looking on from sidelines during an NFL game.
Steelers Have An Opportunity To Innovate Offense On McCarthy's Staff
The Steelers now have the opportunity to innovate their offense under McCarthy's new staff. McCarthy is an offensive-minded guy so fans should expect him to look to improve the team in that area immediately. Scheelhaase helped to orchestrate a potent offensive attack in the 2025 season with the Rams.
This led to wide receiver Puka Nacua leading the league in receptions with 129 along with 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Rams. Should McCarthy look to hire Scheelhaase, that may simmer some of the frustration amongst the fan base following the news of McCarthy's hiring.
The last offensive performance for the Steelers saw them score just six points in a 30-6 drubbing at home at the hands of the Houston Texans. While the Steelers kept things interesting heading into halftime, things quickly fell apart in the second half and Steelers fans were yet again forced to suffer through an embarrassing playoff outing.
Hiring a guy like Scheelhaase to the staff, or even someone similar, will definitely be a refreshing change in the Steel City. The Steelers continue to run an old-school style of offense and it has been left behind by much of the rest of the league. Their offense is neither splashy nor explosive, something which bringing Scheelhaase onto the staff would quickly turnaround in Pittsburgh.
therams.com
Los Angeles Rams Passing Game Coordinator Nate Scheelhaase.
While Scheelhaase has been limited to virtual interviews due to the NFL rules with the Rams still in the playoffs, the Super Bowl is just two weeks away. Teams are allowed to interview potential candidates in-person during the bye week leading up to the big game as well. This will free up Scheelhaase, who seems to be one of the hotter commodities on the head-coaching market right now, to interview in-person with teams.
It should also be noted that the Rams' offensive success also comes with quarterback Matthew Stafford playing incredibly in his age-37 season. Considering that and the success of Nacua, the Steelers should definitely attempt to pry Scheelhaase away from Los Angeles to see if he has interest in joining McCarthy's staff with the possibility of being his successor down the road in Pittsburgh.
Would you like to see the Steelers bring in Scheelhaase or a similar offensive mind at offensive coordinator? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation