Will Mike Sullivan remain as the Steelers’ quarterbacks coach? Should he?
Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported yesterday that he has heard the Steelers are interviewing candidates for the quarterbacks coach position. The Steelers, of course, already have a quarterbacks coach.
Mike Sullivan has served in that capacity for the past few years. He acted as play caller during the second half of the 2023 season after the team fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada. While he interviewed for multiple offensive coordinator positions this offseason, he did not win those jobs.
Dulac reported that Sullivan is still in the running to remain as quarterbacks coach, but your job is obviously not secure if your employer is interviewing potential replacements. The Steelers did that to K Chris Boswell once upon a time. They allowed him to compete to retain his job, however, and he won.
In a sense, that’s what the team is doing here. But will he “win” his job back? And should he? The quarterback position is arguably the team’s biggest concern right now, so how much of that falls on the position coach?
It’s not as though he has Ben Roethlisberger to work with anymore, but the quarterback play has undeniably held the Steelers back the past two seasons. There has been an undue burden on the defense to keep the game competitive until the offense can rally in the second half of the fourth quarter.
Pittsburgh hired a new offensive coordinator this offseason in Arthur Smith. We do not know how much influence he might wield on reshaping the coaching staff. Beat writers seem to be mixed on the matter, as well. At the very least, he has the right to offer an opinion, even if coaching decisions are ultimately at Mike Tomlin’s discretion.
Including whether the Steelers keep Mike Sullivan on board as quarterbacks coach. While Tomlin did assign him play-calling duties after firing Canada, he named Eddie Faulkner interim offensive coordinator. The players routinely speak highly of him. He seems to be popular within the locker room. But will that be enough for him to keep his job? Should it be?
The Steelers’ 2023 season has been put out of its misery, ending as so many have before in recent years: a disappointing, blowout playoff loss. The only change-up lately is when they miss the playoffs altogether. But with the Buffalo Bills stamping them out in the Wildcard Round, they have another long offseason ahead.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Is Kenny Pickett the guy? Will he get another season’s reprieve without a serious challenge? How will the team address the depth chart? Do they re-sign Mason Rudolph, one of few significant unrestricted free agents?
The Steelers are swirling with more questions this offseason than usual, frankly, though the major free agent list is less substantial than usual. It’s just a matter of…what happens next? Where do they go from here? How do they find the way forward?
