Classic Steelers
Welp. It happened again. 10-7 and a wild card loss. The Steelers seem condemned to being astonishingly decent for the foreseeable future. While the Steelers’ front office remains confident in their unique approach to team-building (some would say outdated), fans and loyal yinzers are left coping through a plethora of emotions stemming from chronic mediocrity. As a Steelers fan myself, I also fall victim to a January coping session, leading me to conduct hundreds of mock drafts all offseason. When the real one comes, it is always disappointing. There are no participation trophies in football for being good. Goodell only has one trophy, and it is usually reserved for being the best.
There is certainly a difference between being a playoff team and being a Super Bowl team, though, and the Steelers are not the latter. They have not been for quite some time. The Steelers’ last AFC Championship appearance was in the 2016 season, with plenty of talent donning the black and gold since then. So what gives? How can the Steelers replace Mike Tomlin? Do the Steelers need to find a franchise quarterback? How will the Steelers approach this offseason? Well, I’m not Omar Khan, but I can give my best speculation on what realistically needs to be a turning point for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Head Coach
Oh boy. Mike Tomlin is gone. What now?
The Hope: Chris Shula. Currently only 39 years old, but coming up on a decade of work with the Rams and Sean McVay, Shula is more than qualified to be the next great NFL head coach. Oh yeah, and he’s the grandson of Don Shula, one of the greatest coaches of all time. The Steelers would be getting a true professional with the youth to modernize this team, which it so desperately needs.
The Expectation: Brian Flores. While Flores has made himself much more appealing after his time in Minnesota as the defensive coordinator, his poor tenure as the Dolphins‘ head coach just a handful of years ago still rings out. Flores is a good fit for the Steelers with his defensive background and having already worked with the team as the senior defensive assistant in 2022. I do not think Flores would be an upgrade over what Tomlin was.
The Worst Case Scenario: Arthur Smith. No fan wants to see this guy get promoted. The entire state of Pittsburgh wants this guy extradited to Atlanta for his crimes against this offense.
Offensive Coordinator
I’ve had enough of Arthur Smith. It feels very reminiscent of the Matt Canada experience, and I just want a change. An offense that could beat you in more than one way. I do not see a world getting that with Arthur Smith at the helm. Steelers fans are sick of this Matt Canada clone, and lucky for us, there are teams in the NFL considering this “offensive guru” to be their Head Coach. Deuces, Arthur, I wish I could say it has been a pleasure.
The Hope: Tom Arth with Hines Ward as an assistant. Promoting Arth from QB coach to OC seems like a logical step and a realistic move for Khan and the Steelers front office to make. Arth’s resume is good enough to make the jump up to OC after serving as the passing game coordinator from 2022-2023 for the Chargers and Justin Herbert before coming to Pittsburgh as the QB coach and helping shape the dumpster fire QB room of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields into a wild card. Hines Ward would be the perfect assistant. With obvious ties to the Steelers after an illustrious career in Pittsburgh and a nice little coaching resume to go with it, beginning with an internship with Pittsburgh in 2017 and eventually becoming the Arizona State wide receivers coach, Ward would be a refreshing hire. Hey, isn’t there an elite wide receiver prospect from Arizona State in this year’s draft class? Why yes, yes there is.
The Expectation: The Steelers do not retain Arthur Smith one way or the other. Instead, they bring in another former head coach without current employment. And no, coaching the Polynesian Bowl doesn’t count as employment. A few candidates I have in mind are Mike McCarthy and Doug Pederson. The downside is that they have both demonstrated numerous moments of professional incompetence (hence, the unemployment). The upside is, it’s not Arthur Smith.
The Worst Case Scenario: Yeah, you guessed it, Arthur Smith. I really do not understand how this guy is considered a “guru” because when I hear the name Arthur Smith, I just picture the criminal misuse of “generational” talents like Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson. This is nightmare fuel for Steelers fans.
Defensive Coordinator
The Hope: Jonathan Gannon. Yeah, believe it or not, this guy could be a very good defensive coordinator. He’s a crafty coordinator who could wreak havoc with weapons like T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig. Gannon is low on the list for other teams. I think Gannon would be our best get.
The Expectation: Raheem Morris. Morris would make a lot of sense as a defensive coordinator in general, but in the Steelers’ coaching overhaul that is likely to ensue, it could be a refreshing hire for all parties involved.
The Worst Case Scenario: Teryl Austin stays. He was Tomlin’s guy, but he is, quite frankly, terrible. I do not want Teryl Austin let back into the Steelers facility. Ever.
Quarterback
Will A-Rod be back? Maybe? Either way, a 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers is not the endgame quarterback. I will be interested to see how the mentorship of Will Howard is going and how serviceable he can be as a backup or even a bridge QB. Neither guy is “the guy” with respect to the future. With all that said, I do not think you need a star QB to win a Super Bowl. You need a scheme fit that does what you need him to. I mean, if Jalen Hurts can win a Super Bowl…
The Hope: Malik Willis. Bring Malik in for 1-3 years, $10-20 million a year would be more than fair. I think Willis could provide a unique dimension with his legs that the Steelers haven’t had in a QB, really ever. He has shown through his tenure with the Packers that he can indeed sling the rock a bit as well. The Steelers don’t need an MVP; they need a complementary QB that bolsters the offense past mediocrity.
The Expectation: The 1-year QB cycle continues. Whether it’s Rodgers for another or somebody else, this would cause Steelers fans globally to roll their eyes. Other non-Rodgers options could be potential cut-candidate Tua Tagovailoa or Kyler Murray, or even Justin Fields. Did I just say Justin Fields? Yeah, I did. Arth knows him. They had some success with him (4-2 as a starter in Pittsburgh). These are band-aids, yes, but Tua, Kyler, or Fields have a bit more intrigue than another year of Aaron Rodgers.
The Worst Case Scenario: Garrett Nussmeier. Or I suppose one of the other mid-late round QBs in this draft class. But Nussmeier especially scares me. Did he already pass his prime before he even made it to the league? Maybe. Anyways, I don’t expect Khan to have the opportunity to draft a top 3 QB this year, and there is a steep fall off after that. Even if by some miracle the likes of a Ty Simpson slipped to the Steelers in the first round, I don’t expect Khan to pull the trigger. The Steelers have been in QB purgatory since Ben Roethlisberger, never really trying to address the need other than Mr. Fake Slide himself, Kenny Pickett. With Omar Khan at the helm for the last 3 years, the Steelers have drafted 1 quarterback, and it was in the 6th round (Will Howard). I don’t expect the Steelers to go QB before round 3 if they even try to address the need at all.
Wide Receiver
The Steelers need a WR2. Bad. The likes of Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Adam Thielen are not going to cut it. I don’t think Calvin Austin is the solution at WR2. I think he is a fine depth piece, but unreliable as a separator and pass-catcher. So, where does that leave the receiving core?
The Hope: 1a Jordyn Tyson, 1b Makai Lemon. Yup, that’s right, that one Arizona State prospect comes with his college receiver coach to follow in his mentor’s footsteps as the next great Steelers receiver. Hines Ward and Jordyn Tyson to the moon. Wouldn’t that be something? Unfortunately, at the moment, Tyson is widely considered a top 2 receiver in the draft, and the Steelers are not in a position to take the versatile pass-catcher from ASU at that valuation. On the other hand, Tyson has a pretty checkered injury history, and that could deter teams away from him, landing him right in the Steelers’ lap in the mid-late 1st round. If not Tyson, I would love to see Makai Lemon in the black and gold. The talented USC slot receiver just won the Biletnikoff Award (best receiver) over the likes of Jeremiah Smith. There is a world where Lemon is the best receiver in this class. And in a very real world, the Steelers have the opportunity to draft him this spring.
The Expectation: Zachariah Branch or KC Concepcion. I personally would prefer Branch, but would be just fine with either. They both showed out strongly this past year in the SEC and would have the potential to be star slot receivers for the Steelers. To me, Denzel Boston doesn’t make sense as the Steelers already have an X receiver in DK Metcalf. Any other draft prospect would be a reach on Day 1 or early Day 2.
The Worst Case Scenario: The Steelers believe in Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson to be the 2 and 3. Resigning Calvin Austin wouldn’t be the end of the world; we just cannot expect him to play a key role. Even if they brought in Jauan Jennings in Free Agency to try and take on the WR2 role, it still feels lacking. I don’t think there’s much space to grow in the offense for a receiver born in 1997 who loves to talk smack. Jauan Jennings is the Draymond Green of the NFL. The Steelers need a Splash Brother, not a Draymond. I think the front office knows that, and this scenario is highly unlikely.
Linebacker
The Steelers need to move on from Patrick Queen. Straight up. He has not lived up to his contract, and some of the defensive inconsistencies the Steelers saw in 2025 could be solved by finding a replacement for Queen. Additionally, the Steelers could save over $13 million in cap space if they cut him this offseason. This feels easy.
The Hope: Jacob Rodriguez. One of college football’s best linebackers. I want to see what he can do at the next level. And I don’t want to see him on any other team. Ideally, we spend a 3rd rounder on Rodriguez, but if the board gets scary, I don’t think I would be mad taking him in the 2nd. The division-rival Browns took a franchise inside backer in the second round last year (Carson Schwesinger), and I hope we follow suit.
The Expectation: Matt Milano or Denzel Perryman. Veteran inside-backer. Somebody with experience to take over green-dot duties with Queen’s departure. Band-aid. I wouldn’t love it or necessarily hate it as long as the Steelers can get Queen off the books. Not much to say here.
Worst Case Scenario: Stick with Patrick Queen. The Steelers would just be eating money at this point, hoping for improvement. After this past season defensively, the Steelers know they need to be more consistent on this side of the ball. I don’t see this need going unaddressed.
Free Agency
Free Agency will largely depend on who is available when it comes around. With that said, I have one player on my wish list, should he become available. Tariq Woolen. I think Riq Woolen is one of the most gifted corners in the league. He’s got size and speed to cover anybody. And he does. He is one of the best man coverage corners in the league. Riq could come in and do what Jalen Ramsey was supposed to do: shut down the other team’s #1. In a division with Ja’Marr Chase, that feels uber important. In Woolen’s only matchup vs. Chase, he held Ja’Marr to less than a 50% catch rate on targets, a feat only accomplished 8 times in Chase’s 5-year career.
Lastly, there were a few acquisitions the Steelers made this year that I would really like to see them retain into 2026.
Kenneth Gainwell: Kenneth Gainwell had a strong 2025 with career highs in scrimmage yards and touchdowns. The Jaylen Warren/Kenneth Gainwell committee worked very nicely this year. Run it back in 2026.
Kyle Dugger: Kyle Dugger had a great 2025, showcasing…nope. Never mind. Let him walk. Kyle Dugger blew some very important coverage snaps over the last month. He is about to be 30 years old. Let him walk and save that money for free agency.
Asante Samuel Jr: Finally, Asante Samuel Jr. He has played well enough in his stint with the Steelers for me to want to keep him. The coaching staff must trust him a little, as he saw 40% of defensive snaps in the Wild Card loss to the Texans. At only 26 years old and a low price point, Samuel is a great depth piece for the secondary in 2026.
Takeaways
Without Tomlin at the helm, a winning season is no longer guaranteed. On the flip side, the Steelers have so much potential to improve this offseason. If Omar Khan steps up and puts on his big boy pants, Steelers fans might start to get some hope beyond just a playoff berth. With a quarterback that is more than a rental, at least two solid receivers, and some defensive hole-plugging, the Steelers’ next Super Bowl might not be as far away as some might think. Then again, there’s also the Arthur Smith/Garrett Nussmeier hellscape in the realm of possibilities. So we’ll just have to wait and see.
