It’s clear the Pittsburgh Steelers need to make changes after going 10-7 and losing in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight season.
The Steelers were looking good for most of the season and sat atop the AFC North at 10-3, but went on to lose the last four games of the regular season and the lose to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs.
Despite the Steelers’ plan to retain head coach Mike Tomlin, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor believes that the Team must make tough staff changes to improve for next season.
“The most probable changes coming to the Steelers are on the coaching staff, even if the people in charge aren’t the root causes of the problems,” Pryor said. “(Teryl) Austin, promoted from senior defensive assistant to coordinator following Keith Butler’s retirement in 2022, oversaw a defense that dropped off significantly over the final five games of the 2024 season.”
“That drop-off suggests the Steelers either need different ideas or a different voice relaying those ideas. The other high-impact change to be made is in the offensive line room with position coach Pat Meyer. The Steelers also gave up 49 sacks. It’s time to see more return on the offensive line investment.”
Story continues below advertisement
Pittsburgh’s defense had a dramatic dropoff in the final few games of the season and stopped forcing takeaways like they did earlier this season. Despite using high-end draft picks on the other side of the ball with the offensive line, the Steelers’ line play was average. Addressing these issues in the offseason with potential staff changes may be what the team needs to get the most out of their players.
More NFL: Steelers Listed As Potential Destination For Veteran Quarterback
Featured image via Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images