Could the Steelers fire Teryl Austin before the season is over?
The Steelers entered the 2025 season expecting historic things from Teryl Austin’s defense, and in the wrong way they are getting that. Through eight weeks, they are on pace to have their lowest-ranked defense in franchise history. That won’t quite put you in the record books with the Steel Curtain and the Ravens and Buccaneers.
The Steelers are not a team prone to making many rash moves, let alone in-season. But there is now precedent in recent history for making such a move as firing Teryl Austin. After all, they fired OC Matt Canada just a couple years ago.
The thing is, is the situation with Teryl Austin’s defense as dire as the Steelers’ offense under Matt Canada? One can certainly put forth the argument, but it’s not a home run by any stretch. As frustrating as these games can be, they’re not historically bad in a leaguewide sense. They’re just woefully underachieving and selectively being one of the worst defenses in the league in one particular season.
The other argument is, of course, that firing Teryl Austin won’t change much, given how much it is presumed HC Mike Tomlin controls the defense. But the question posed isn’t whether firing Austin would change anything. It’s just, could they do it?
If the Steelers lay another egg next week against the Indianapolis Colts, the conversation will certainly heat up. They’ll be sitting at 4-4 and yet still lead the AFC North. They’ll also be right at the cusp of the trade deadline, and somehow still believe they are contenders this year. After all, they have Aaron Rodgers and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
If they think moving on from Austin could help them win this year, the Steelers certainly might pull the trigger. But it’s worth noting that he is believed to be under contract through 2026, which complicates things financially.
Here’s the thing, though: the Steelers have no greater motivation than to end their postseason drought. They know it’s the albatross around their neck. Even if they don’t manage to break free of it, they have to show the effort. So even if Teryl Austin were a token sacrifice, might the Steelers fire him just to say, “See, we’re trying”? Frankly, I don’t see why not.
After another disappointing season and months of retooling, the Steelers are set to try it all again in 2025. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is the quarterback question. They settled in on Aaron Rodgers, but we still have a lot to learn about him. The 2025 NFL Draft class could play a big role, but veteran additions like Jalen Ramsey will be paramount.
Now we are in the regular season. From Rodgers to George Pickens to Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ramsey, we’ve seen the Steelers make some big changes. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and figuring out how it all works out.
