The Pittsburgh Steelers could see a defensive assistant leave for a new role with the New England Patriots.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Steelers defensive assistant Gerald Alexander recently interviewed for the Patriots’ defensive coordinator position, and could end up in New England as a position coach role even if he doesn’t land the coordinator position under new head coach Jerod Mayo.
In his notebook piece Tuesday afternoon, Breer wrote that he expects the Patriots to make an announcement on the defensive coordinator position under Mayo soon, and Alexander’s name is included in that.
“The Patriots’ coordinator spots could get filled this week. The first domino to fall could be DeMarcus Covington landing the defensive coordinator job. Covington, as it stands right now, is a strong favorite, and brings seven years of experience working in the building to the table—the past five as a defensive position coach alongside new head coach Jerod Mayo,” Breer writes for SI.com. “The Patriots could also seek [to add] Denver Broncos defensive backs coach Christian Parker or Pittsburgh Steelers assistant defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander, both of whom interviewed for the coordinator job, to the defensive staff with Covington.”
Alexander joined the Steelers last April as an assistant defensive backs coach. A former NFL safety, Alexander got into coaching and has spent time at the college and NFL levels. Though the Steelers only put him on the website for the 2023 season, his bio stated it was his second season with the Steelers.
After his playing days were over, Alexander started coaching at Arkansas State in 2013. He later moved to the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an intern in 2016 before returning to the college ranks. The Miami Dolphins hired him to be their defensive backs coach in 2020 but he lasted only two seasons before he was let go after Brian Flores was fired.
In his playing days, Alexander was a second-round pick from Boise State in the 2007 NFL Draft. He appeared in 44 career games, starting 30 of them while seeing time with the likes of the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. He finished his NFL career in 2011, totaling 159 tackles and four interceptions in five seasons.
After spending the 2023 season coaching safeties in Pittsburgh, Alexander is headed to the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl and will coach the West team’s linebackers, according to the Shrine Bowl.
Though he will be representing the Steelers at the Shrine Bowl, it appears that Alexander could be moving up the NFL coaching ranks and could land in New England under Mayo.
