After how poorly they played to end the season, it seems likely the Pittsburgh Steelers will undergo several changes this season. Mike Tomlin made it clear he believes that will likely be the case. His job is safe, but some coaches on his staff may not return to the team in 2025. Reporter Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes that will probably be the case.
“I think you’ll see multiple assistant coaches go,” Fittipaldo wrote during his chat session with readers on Tuesday.
That seems probable, although it’s important to note that Fittipaldo says assistant coaches. That makes it seem like coordinators like Arthur Smith and Teryl Austin are safe, but that also might not be the case. Smith, in particular, could be gone if he accepts a head coaching job with another team.
It’s tough to speculate which coaches could get the axe. It seems likely that more changes will come on the offensive side of the ball, though. That was the unit that gave the Steelers the most issues. They haven’t been good enough on offense for years, and although they flashed at times this season, they weren’t consistent enough to be acceptable.
Offensive line coach Pat Meyer feels like the most likely candidate to not return to the Steelers. He’s been with the team since 2022, and in that time, their offensive line hasn’t ever really been great. They did deal with injuries this year, but that’s no excuse.
Dan Moore Jr. seemed to be making strides this year but regressed heavily down the stretch. Broderick Jones has not developed well, either. Not all of the Steelers’ offensive line issues are on Meyer, but a change might benefit both sides.
Like Meyer, the Steelers could also part ways with assistant offensive line coach Isaac Williams. Other offensive coaches, like quarterbacks coach Tom Arth and wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni, were in their first year with the Steelers. Perhaps that could buy them some more time, or the team could choose to move on quickly and hit a harder reset.
The defensive coaches are probably not safe, either. That unit collapsed at the end of the year, and the Steelers might feel inclined to make changes to ensure that doesn’t happen again. It all depends on how much the team wants to shake things up.
The Steelers have spent the past several years stuck in the same cycle, and running things back in 2025 probably won’t yield great results. It’s unfortunate because it sucks to see people lose their jobs, but in the NFL, job security is not guaranteed, especially when a team is losing.
