They annually have one of the smallest NFL coaching staffs, but one of its best head coaches keeps the Pittsburgh Steelers near the top of the discussion of best staffs in the league.
At least, until this summer. Last year, the Steelers’ coaching staff ranked No. 7 in the NFL. This time around, ESPN’s Ben Solak has the Steelers in the middle of the pack, landing at No. 15 overall between the Los Angeles Chargers at and the Seattle Seahawks.
It’s a precipitous fall and comes after the Steelers lost five straight games to end a once-promising 2024 season in ugly fashion, raising plenty of questions about head coach Mike Tomlin, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.
“From August to February, there are few coaches I would rather have with me in the foxhole than Tomlin. No coach has a longer history of his teams punching above their weight than Tomlin’s Steelers,” Solak writes. “Pittsburgh’s defense is, for seemingly the 137th season in a row, a reflection of its coach: tirelessly tough, prepared for the key moment and never out of the fight. It’s tempting to leave it there, but Tomlin’s influence on the Steelers’ disinterested approach to the quarterback position is impossible to ignore. It is unfeasible to win in the modern NFL without treating quarterback as what it is — an exceptional position that must be given exceptional resources.
“For his (however small) part in the Steelers’ organizational direction toward stopgap quarterback options, Tomlin gets dinged.”
It’s important to note, to the chagrin of many who read this, that Tomlin has never had a losing season as the Steelers’ head coach. He always has them in contention, finding ways to muddy up games, drag teams into ugly football and win games.
As Solak writes, the Steelers are never out of the fight under Tomlin.
Until the playoffs, at least.
Despite being able to do that type of stuff in the regular season, they haven’t had a prayer in the playoffs in recent years. But being able to do that in the regular season and just getting to the postseason is a feat in and of itself.
Now, though, the Steelers have made significant roster moves, upgrading some key areas, particularly at quarterback. With Aaron Rodgers under center, the Steelers believe they have their best quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger, one who can help them have success in the postseason.
They also have a young offensive line that continues to grow, and a star-studded defense that added some big-name pieces to plug holes. The Steelers feel they can compete for a Super Bowl. They need to show it on the field.
That’s where Solak has concerns.
“Austin has done well on the defensive side of the ball for multiple seasons now. Smith is the bigger question mark,” Solak writes of the coordinators. “The last time we saw his offense excel relative to its personnel was in the late 2010s/early 2020s with the Titans. That offense was an under-center, run-heavy, play-action oriented system — the exact opposite of the offensive style Aaron Rodgers prefers.
“A massive offensive overhaul has occurred since last season — a new WR1, a new TE1, an entirely reimagined line and potentially a new RB1. Smith has to make something from scratch here, and my faith in his ability to do so is only moderate.”
After bumping heads with Russell Wilson last season and seeing the offense fall off a cliff late in the season, Smith now has a quarterback with whom he has a solid relationship in Rodgers. They’re in the honeymoon phase right now, but they’re both saying and doing all the right things, building the offense up and collaborating.
What will happen when the games matter and the reps are live?
There’s a lot of pressure — and attention — on the Steelers’ offense this season. It can’t be a defense-driven team once again, even if that side of the football is the highest-paid one in the NFL. The offense has to do its part and score points, control the ball and create balance. That’s where Smith comes in.
It was an up-and-down first year in Pittsburgh, but now he has the pieces in place to run the offense he wants. Time to show up.
