Steelers' Yahya Black Gives Extremely Positive Update On Impact From Newly Hired Coach Domata Peko

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a very busy offseason in nearly every possible way. Of course, every team goes through the cycle of adding new players on the trade market, free agency, and the draft. Then there are the extensions, that the Steelers have been occupied with and still look to sign star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and defensive lineman Keeanu Benton. On top of that, Pittsburgh went through a rare coaching cycle, bringing in hometown coach Mike McCarthy, which led to a wave of new assistants. 

Among the new coaches with McCarthy, the Steelers hired 21 new faces, completely shifting a new generation of football in Pittsburgh. As any change in a coaching staff, there a lot of things that will change. Different culture and new ways to grow as players learning from different perspectives. One coach that has made a quality impact thus far has been coach Domata Peko, the new defensive line coach. 

There's a lot of trust with Coach Peko, a former NFL defensive lineman that played 15 seasons in the league, including 11 seasons with one of the Steelers' rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals. Adding a former player that appeared in 214 games is definitely valuable to a diverse group in Pittsburgh. Captain Cameron Heyward of course leads the charge, along with Benton and Yahya Black. 

While Benton is seeking a big contract, Black is still trying to take in as much information as he can as he still is adjusting to the NFL. Black was a rookie last season and has really appreciated what Peko has shown already. However, it's just the start and things will get a lot better when the pads come on. Black described this early process on The Christian Kuntz Podcast.

"Learning bits and pieces," Black stated on The Christian Kuntz Podcast. "I think it’s definitely going to be different when pads get on. He can actually let you know what’s going on in-game."

Considering we are still in the preliminary stages of summer practices, there's only so much Peko can do at this point. Black acknowledged that and is still finding ways to take in his knowledge of the game, applying that in any way that he can. It's limited, but he's made an early impact already.

Once the pads are on when the team arrives in Latrobe and starts moving around for the preseason, we will start to find out what difference he can really make to this group. Peko needs to make his presence known early to this unit, especially with the current things going on with one of the key players in the group.

Adding a coach like Peko is very huge, especially considering Benton is in contract negotiations. A guy with that resume could really entice a player to stay in the organization long-term, giving Benton more reason to settle down in Pittsburgh. While it may not affect the biggest factor of signing, the money, it will give more reason to sign if the price is right. 

Steelers Are Confident In New Staff

Change is never easy for any organization, but adding a quality coach that players immediately respond to is extremely important. While it doesn't happen often, the Steelers' new staff is making an early impact on these players and the change is interesting to watch. These players will give more updates down the road once the pads go on, but for now, the early progress is positive. 

Now that they have a new staff that the players are clicking with, Pittsburgh can continue to settle in with their players and keep them locked up long-term. While this doesn't really impact the signing decision for Porter Jr., this plays a massive role in Benton's contract. Hopefully Peko's early impact makes a deal easier.

Thoughts on Peko so far? Follow us for more news!

#SteelerNation