All of a sudden, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a new offensive coordinator—or perhaps possibly two. At the very least, the tasks previously handled by Matt Canada are now being divided between two men. Running backs coach Eddie Faulkner is formally being recognized as the interim coordinator, but quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan will be responsible for the bulk of the play-calling duties.
Neither are new to the team. Faulker was hired to take over the running backs in 2019 and has long been regarded by head coach Mike Tomlin as a young, rising coach. This job with the Steelers is his first in the NFL, but he wore many different hats throughout his college tenure.
As for Sullivan, he was hired to be the Steelers’ quarterbacks coach in 2021 after Canada was promoted from that post to become the coordinator. He is the only position coach QB Kenny Pickett has ever known, and likewise Faulkner is the only position coach these running backs have had, so there is plenty of continuity. Few other players on offense have been here longer, either.
“He’s very positive. He’s a great guy. He definitely knows his football. He’s been around the league for a little bit, and I’m excited to see how he calls the game”, TE Pat Freiermuth said of Sullivan, who was hired the same year the tight end was drafted.
He added of Faulkner, “He’s a very inspiring guy, he gets the guys going. He’s a good guy to be around and he’s definitely one of the leaders on offense”. And he wasn’t the only player who had good things to say about these veteran coaches on the staff who are now transitioning into a larger role.
“You can tell they’re genuine coaches and they really want what’s best for us, so I think with coaches like that it’ll make us play harder for them”, RB Jaylen Warren said. On Sullivan, WR Allen Robinson II praised his teaching skills, “being able to keep communication open and things like that”.
While Faulkner had never held another job in the NFL previously, he served as offensive coordinator at Ball State more than a decade ago. He has also worked with both running backs and tight ends and has served as special teams coordinator in a variety of places, so he’s not unfamiliar with working throughout the roster or seeing a bigger picture.
As for Sullivan, his NFL experience spans both sides of the ball. His first job at this level was as a defensive quality control coordinator following a collegiate career coaching linebackers and defensive backs. He’s also spent time as a wide receivers coach and as a quarterbacks coach, with multiple previous stints as an offensive coordinator. There’s a reason these two were chosen for the task at hand.
“Just in one day with ‘Faulk’ today as the lead man, it was good to see the leadership”, C Mason Cole said of the team’s first day under the new interim regime, via Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I am looking forward to more of it”.
