Much like Ike Taylor’s unlisted scouting role with the Pittsburgh Steelers in recent years, Ryan Shazier quietly joined the coaching staff in 2024. Mike Tomlin and RB coach Eddie Faulkner hinted at this role throughout the 2024 season. Shazier had the opportunity to talk about it on Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast during the 2025 NFL Draft.
“It was a great experience,” Shazier said. “To be able to be involved in the game plan, to be able to try to help the team to victory, get my insight. And it was kinda cool being on the opposite side of the ball because a lot of the times everybody has their perspective on what they feel like they see, or what they think they see. So it was pretty cool when Arthur Smith would ask me what I thought about a situation.”
According to a video posted by ESPN’s Brooke Pryor during rookie minicamp last year, Shazier helped Faulkner with the running backs. It’s unclear what his exact role was on the staff last season, but we know it was on the offensive side of the ball, and he seemed to work with Faulkner the most.
It was Faulkner who said Ryan Shazier was “trying to become Coach Shazier” in an interview toward the end of the season.
It’s a little different to have a former linebacker on the offensive coaching staff. But remember that Mike Tomlin was a former wide receiver turned defensive back expert. Having that perspective from the other side of things can be very useful.
Other than the time commitment and being away from family, Shazier said the hardest part of coaching was starting all over again at the lowest rung of the profession.
“The toughest part would be starting from the bottom,” Shazier said. “Being involved with football for so long, having your insight, having your knowledge, and then when it comes to coaching, they want you to kind of start back over again.”
Maybe that was part of the thought process for sticking Shazier on the offensive side of the ball. It’s never a bad thing to get someone out of their comfort zone, and it makes sense to start him in a small role to get his feet wet on the coaching side of things.
Heyward poked fun at Shazier for being a traitor to the defense.
“The defense isn’t paying my bills, bro,” Shazier joked.
He admitted that the film-watching aspect of being a coach was difficult as a former defensive player.
“I would get caught up into watching you guys [the defense] way more than I should have when I should be watching the offensive side,” Shazier said.
It’s unclear if this was an internship role and whether or not the Steelers will have him back in 2025. Maybe we will find out at rookie minicamp next week just like we did last season.
Last October, Tomlin said Shazier has “all the tools” to be a great coach due to his thirst for knowledge and his ability to share it with others. He had to do that as the quarterback of the defense, and those skills are now translating to his second football career as a coach.
