The Office of Future Plans (Or 7 Ways To Break Free From Perpetual Hell)

Let’s face it: we all seem to be singing from a similar hymn sheet now. With the Steelers 6-11 in their last 17 regular season games (albeit 6-6 in 2025) and the promises of improvement fading in and out like a lighthouse beacon, Steelers Nation is in a state of tension, anger and even nihilism. “The more things change, the more they stay the same” never felt like more of a pertinent statement than now. Initially, I was going to write about the ‘perpetual hell’ the organisation was going through currently. However, it appears almost every single Pittsburgh beat writer and media personality has done exactly that.

So, let’s look at this another way.

I have divided the Steelers into 7 areas (because, if you know me, it’s always going to be 7!) and am dividing this article into 3 parts to see how likely change could be afoot, what that change could look like (if any) and see what the most likely scenario would be to turning this franchise around. It may involve pipe dreams. It may involve bitter pills that have to be swallowed. But anything, ANYTHING we can do to lift us out of a never ending cycle of inconsistent and irritating football I’m willing to explore. Well look at what could happen if changes were made right now, at the end of 2026 or (in some cases, God forbid) further down the line.

AREA 1: Head Coach Mike Tomlin

“Fire Tomlin”, the crowd roared as the Steelers slumped to possibly their most miserable feeling loss in years over the Buffalo Bills on November 30th 2025. The first time it had been roared in such a fashion throughout Acrisure, and a telling sign of the frustrations and anger towards the well tenured head coach.

A seemingly untouchable presence, even after years of playoff disappointment after playoff disappointment, Mike Tomlin’s incredible yet ultimately fruitless regular season record is no longer a good enough reason to justify his position as head coach. His words now echo meaninglessly through the halls of locker rooms and media circuits combined. Ex-players are vocal on the subject of his failings. Current players are seemingly contradicting his mindset in interviews. His continual ineptitude at controlling games and decision making can no longer be taped over by narrow victories, hollow Tomlinisms and pointless streaks.

Simply put: Mr Tomlin, it’s time to go.

But the question is, when? I highly doubt that Art Rooney will be willing to pull the plug on Tomlin as soon as tomorrow. Quite frankly, I don’t see it happening before the end of this season. And even then, I fear he may get yet another chance. Tomlin is under contract until the end of the 2027 season, and historically, the Steelers have never been the sort of team to cut ties with coaches part way through a season (Matthew Canada aside). If ownership truly believes that Mike Tomlin can be the man to steady his own sinking ship, he won’t be going anywhere, no matter how loud mutiny is cried for.

But, we’re here to have fun, right?

Let’s say Rooney has seen enough and Mike Tomlin is relieved of his duties following the 2025 season. Who are the potential candidates to take over and become only the 4th Steelers head coach in 57 years?

There are the ‘never say never, but never’ candidates, the ones that, while they sound fantastic, are probably in the 95-99% range of improbability. It would be wonderful to have a Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan just waltz in to sprinkle the Steelers with their coaching magic, or find the perfect grit fit for the Steel City in a Dan Campbell or Mike Vrabel. Sadly, they’re not viable options in my opinion (but my word, if there’s even a hint of a crack of a chance, I’d be all over it).

In terms of previously (or currently) established NFL head coaches, hot seat candidates like Mike McDaniel, Raheem Morris and Jonathan Gannon don’t appeal to me at all, neither does the recently departed Brian Daboll (though I’m not totally against the idea unlike the previously mentioned three), while previous HC names now in coordinating roles such as Kliff Kingsbury, Josh McDaniels and Matt Nagy likewise would not fill me with great confidence. One name, however, does stick out: Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator, former Miami Dolphins head coach AND former Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers coach, Brian Flores. While his last head coaching role ended in flames and lawsuits, Flores has an aggressive defensive mindset that suits the background of the Steelers, has been in the building previously (albeit for a short time) and is only 44 years old, giving him potential scope to be a long term leader for this team. With Minnesota struggling, could Flores seek to take the reins should the job become available, or has his previous head coach experience soured him on the idea?

And then, of course, if you’re talking about coordinators with past head coach experience, there’s the current Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. I’ll talk more about Arthur’s future with the team later, but as a head coach, you can consider me out on that prospect (even though the Steelers do love to hire from within...)

Walk with me on the wild side for a moment though. Two head coaches that could be feeling the pressure of a hot seat, though possibly through no fault of their own, could somehow find their way to Pittsburgh: Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell and Eagles HC Nick Sirianni. Now, I do find these highly unlikely candidates, don’t get me wrong. KOC is in an unfortunate QB and injury rut and Sirianni is having to deal with offensive dramas throwing back to back Super Bowl plans into disarray. However, could there be a world where either man either decides enough is enough, or where their team decides to go in a different direction for the future? Again, I must stress, it’s highly unlikely, but unlike the McVays and Campbells, there could be a shred of sense in there. KOC is one of the finest young footballing minds in the game, while Sirianni, though headstrong and often irritating, is a proven champion. Mull on it, please. It’s fun. Promise!

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network recently published his annual look at the 2026 coaching cycle, providing 24 names of young candidates to know that could potentially find their way to become first time head coaches in the NFL. Of these 24, a handful intrigued me, these 3 in particular:

36 year old Bills OC Joe Brady, who saw success with Joe Burrow and LSU back in 2019 as passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach, has been with the Bills for 3 and a half seasons now, following a rocky patch with Carolina. He has previously interviewed for head coach roles, and you would think if Sean McDermott fails yet again to take the Bills to the promised land and he splits, Brady would be one of the first names on Buffalo’s list. It would also go against the Noll/Cowher/Tomlin grain of defensive minded head coaches for the Steelers. But, could a new era spawn a new mindset? Brady had brief experience at William & Mary as a linebackers coach, and has risen through the ranks in Buffalo showing promise throughout (even with a dubious offensive roster to deal with this year). If the Bills or anyone else don’t step in first, Brady could bring a fresh new energy to Pittsburgh potentially. Colour me intrigued.

44 year old Panthers DC Ejiro Evero may not be a household name, but he’s quietly getting plaudits for his solid work at Carolina. He was DC for the Broncos in 2022, where the defence was a sole bright spot in an otherwise gloomy season, and he has a Super Bowl ring, having worked as both a secondary coach and passing game coordinator at the 2021 LA Rams. He has had numerous head coaching interviews in recent years, and could be a prime candidate again in 2026. With a heavy defensive background but a smattering of offensive help as well, Evero could be a wild, under the radar grab for Pittsburgh.

39 year old Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman surely has to be a hot favourite for a head coaching role in the NFL in 2026. Working his way up from a graduate assistant at Ohio State, through linebacker and DC roles, right up to the Head Coach of the Fighting Irish, Freeman has impressed throughout, transforming Purdue and Cincinnati defences into juggernauts, before leading Notre Dame to a National Championship game in 2024. It can’t be long before calls come in from the NFL, and I for one would be massively on board with giving Freeman a shot in Pittsburgh, as a coach who could potentially breathe new life into a floundering old team, while still maintaining the foundational defensive identity of years past.

A couple of extra names not on Tom’s list: 39 year old Oregon HC Dan Lanning, who has done a tremendous job of making Oregon one of the best teams in college football since 2022, with a 46-7 record at the time of writing, and 49 year old Texans DC Matt Burke, an Ivy League graduate who is doing wonders with the Houston defence currently, and has a knack for developing players to tremendous seasons. Certainly an outside bet, but one I’d certainly like to keep an eye on.

The options are there. Now, it’s simply a matter of when.

AREA 2: General Manager Omar Khan

I almost didn’t want to add Omar into the conversation, because personally, I don’t see Omar as being a problem for this team. Since being hired in 2022 following the infamous Colbert parting gift of a 2022 draft class that produced a failed future franchise quarterback and a wide receiver that is now flourishing elsewhere (more on him shortly), Omar has overseen his fair share of surprising and un-Steelers-y moments, whether that be the massive deal for DK Metcalf this past offseason, the wild Chase Claypool trade that Chicago would rather forget, or the even wilder trade with Miami to acquire Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith, saying “sayonara” to Minkah Fitzpatrick in the process.

However, it is clear that he has been unable to bring in another wide receiver that is so desperately needed, and the George Pickens trade is already looking to be a colossal mistake. It’s still somewhat early to judge his draft choices, though the 2023 class has, for the most part, been the absolute shining light of this Steelers roster (more on them later).

2026 could potentially be the biggest year  of Khan’s short tenure so far. A draft in Pittsburgh where QB is arguably the biggest need, and an abundance of draft picks at his disposal. A head coach on the rocks that might not even be alongside him for that draft. Another free agency where expectations will be high. So, unlike much of what will be discussed here, I’m not only willing to let Omar have his chance for the next couple of years at the very least, but I’m almost certain he’ll be given that chance, so I don’t see the need to discuss potential replacements here. If you feel a conversation needs to be had, by all means, let me know!

(EDITORS NOTE: Since writing this, the Steelers have acquired Adam Thielen. This will go down in Omar’s legacy as one of the moves of all time).

AREA 3: The Current Pittsburgh Steelers Coaching Staff

1 bad game, it’s on the player. 2 bad games, it’s on the coaching. That seems to be the name of the blame game, and Pittsburgh fans sure like to point the finger at the wilting Tomlin coaching tree. With good reason, I hasten to add.

Much of what you see coaching wise under Tomlin leaves a lot to be desired, and this can be seen in no clearer way than the lack of opportunities being offered elsewhere to these individuals. Those shining lights Tom Pelissero offered in his aforementioned article? Not one mention of a Steelers coach, other than fleeting name drops for linebacker coach Scott McCurley and DB coach Gerald Alexander, possibly pity drops amongst a sea of other hopefuls.

Now, admittedly, I’m not tremendously au fait with the full Steelers coaching room (which feels like part of the problem in itself: who truly is?), but there’s three easy places to start. The three men who call the shots (even if conspiracy suggest otherwise for one of them), and three men who, for my money, currently stand in very different areas of accountability and job risk.

Let’s start with the seemingly most obvious one: DC Teryl Austin. Since being promoted to DC in 2022, the Steelers are actually 1st in the league in turnovers, and in interceptions. And yet, season by season, more damning evidence crops up to show that Austin’s defense simply isn’t successful. So far this season, the Steelers are 28th in yards given up per game, 28th in 3rd down conversions given up and 30th in 4th down conversions given up. Against Buffalo in Week 13, after an albeit positive start, they sank to new lows, giving up record rushing numbers in Acrisure. 

Austin appears to be nothing more than a dead weight. Refusing to adjust, an over-reliance on splash plays and getting torched down the middle of the field on a grossly consistent basis. Were there similar problems pre-Austin? Sure, but you would have hoped he could turn that around in 4 seasons. And to those who cry out that this is Tomlin’s defence, I say the same thing: let’s prove it then. Take Austin out of the picture, put in a qualified replacement and see if the defensive results are any different. Fall guy or otherwise, in my mind, above anyone else in this organisation, including Mike Tomlin, Teryl Austin needs to be the first to go. His contract runs out at the end of this season, and a renewal would genuinely be gross malpractice. It simply cannot happen.

Then, there’s the other side of the ball. Arthur Smith has, undoubtedly, been an upgrade over Messrs Fichtner and Canada, with the Steelers offence actually looking like a professional team’s offence at times. It’s not always pretty: there’s a smattering of questionable play calls, a lack of MOF attack and WE STILL HAVE THE BLOODY TOSS PLAYS, but on the whole, I’ve liked what I have seen in Year 2 of Smith’s Steelers OC tenure. Does this mean I’d want to see him take the reins as head coach? Absolutely not. We saw what happened in Atlanta, and while they might be a somewhat cursed organisation currently, Arthur did himself, and the Falcons, no favours. However, talk is already out there of Smith potentially taking interviews in the future for HC roles, particularly in Tennessee where he shone as an OC. So, while I personally would like to see Smith return, if a head coach opportunity arises, we may not get the choice.

If the Steelers are to have a clean slate with their OC and DC roles, who fills the void? My initial worry is the Steelers returning to their favourite pastime: promoting from within. While running backs coach Eddie Faulkner made a valiant effort in 2023 as interim OC following The Fall Of Canada, and defensive line coach Karl Dunbar is a long standing veteran coach with an impressive resume, I am still loathed to look within the walls of Acrisure for the next coordinators. A fresh approach feels needed, and while Arthur Smith was a departure from looking within, should he go, a fresh start and new look offence with a burgeoning young OC could be prosperous.

HOWEVER, saying that, I don’t think you can have this conversation without floating Brian Daboll’s name around. While I’m unmoved by the thought of Daboll the head coach, Daboll the OC intrigues me greatly. The man who helped develop Josh Allen is surely going to be a sought after addition to OC vacancies in 2026, and if Smith goes, and the Steelers have a potential franchise QB to work with (draft, Howard or, somehow, otherwise!), I’d be hard pressed not to be making the call if I’m Omar Khan.

One young name out there that intrigues me is 35 year old Rams passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase. He has been with the Rams for two years, and after just one year, he was promoted from offensive assistant and passing game specialist to passing game coordinator. Prior to that, he saw tremendous success rising up the ranks at Iowa State. A young mind like that off the McVay tree (albeit a newer leaf on it) could see Pittsburgh as a tremendous opportunity, but you wonder if the Steelers would take such a gamble.

As for DC, the search becomes a bit trickier for me, not least because it feels like the only way you’ll find a great fit and someone who can truly lead this defence is to see Mike Tomlin out of the door first. Now, I’m not one to say that Tomlin is running this defence. However, it does seem overly weird to me that a great defensive mind like Brian Flores wasn’t tasked with getting the defence in his hands while he was with the Steelers. Alas, here we are.

Bar some crazy sideways move for coordinators like Jesse Minter or the aforementioned Ejiro Evero, or the even more crazy thought of Mr Flores coming back into the building to take the DC role on, the role feels almost primed for a Gerald Alexander or Scott McCurley to jump up into the role. However, looking around the league, a couple of names stick out.

Jeff Howard, the 42 year old safeties coach for the Seattle Seahawks, has an interesting and effective resume stemming from spells with the Chargers, Vikings and Covid-era Browns (when they were somewhat good). He’s never been a DC, but he’s apparently a well respected name around the NFL, and could look to seize the opportunity if presented. Another interesting DB coach option is Christian Parker at Philadelphia, who is currently working under Vic Fangio (and briefly worked under him in Denver too). To have a Fangio-mentored, Super Bowl winning coach who’s only 33, has helped mould Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell into early stars and has offensive coaching history as well as your DC could be a feather in the cap for a new Steelers era.

Now, there is one more coordinator to talk about. Good ol’ STC Danny Smith. For my money, you let that gum chewin’ son of a gun carry on for as long as he damn well wants. Smith is a treasure, and while the special teams isn’t perfect, it’s still one of the stronger points of this team. We’ll look into replacements when the fat lady sings…or stops chewing, in this case.

I’ve touched on some individual positional coaches within the Steelers ranks and, with many only being with the team for a short time and my somewhat limited knowledge on them, I’ll spare you trying to wade through my thoughts. However, we do need to talk about one oft spoke of individual within that room: OL coach Pat Meyer.

The ire of Meyer dislikers has run on for a while now, with the finger of blame pointed squarely at Pat for the woes of the all-too-often leaky, pressurised and underdeveloped offensive trenchmen. In 2024, Broderick Jones and Dan Moore made up 2 of the top 3 sack allowers according to PFF. Before Frazier (who himself has had an up and down sophomore campaign) the once proud Center position was filled with duds who wished they were studs. Kevin Dotson never found his place. Isaac Seumalo is losing his lustre. The depth, though perhaps not entirely Meyer’s fault, has at times been incredibly worrying. But how much of this lies with Meyer, and has it been all bad? The former I would say no, and recent, no doubt Weidl inspired, moves have given him a fighting chance. The latter I would say certainly not. Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick have performed more than admirably in their first 2 seasons. Troy Fautanu, after early injuries and growing pains, is turning into a fine addition at right tackle. And then there’s Broderick Jones who, for all the issues he has had, had been coming along quite nicely before being ruled out for the rest of the year. And don’t forget Spencer Anderson, who has come on leaps and bounds in his third year as a jumbo package weapon. Surely, some of this is down to Meyer’s coaching, no? But with that also comes the inconsistencies, the errant snaps, the lack of preparation, whatever the hell Jones’ technique is, and so on.

It feels as though the clock is ticking on Meyer’s time and, much like Austin, his contract is up at the end of this season. I find it unlikely, even with some glimmers of hope, that he will retain his job. But this is the Steelers, so who truly knows?