The Pittsburgh Steelers snuck into the NFL playoffs but again lost in the wild-card round and did not win a playoff game.
The Steelers have won just three playoff games in the last 13 years under Mike Tomlin.
Pittsburgh has not won a playoff game in the last seven years.
In the last 13 years, the #Steelers have won three playoff games.
In the last seven years, the Steelers have won ZERO playoff games.
But… they are relevant every December. So there’s that.
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) January 16, 2024
Mike Tomlin has a saying, “The standard is the standard”, however, lately, the standard for the Steelers has been mediocrity.
The offense for the Steelers has been a huge issue over the last few years.
They fired Matt Canada mid-season.
During a press conference, Tomlin stated he is looking at outside candidates for the offensive coordinator position, a decision Steelers fans have been clamoring for.
Tomlin says he's looking at outside candidates for offensive coordinator.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) January 18, 2024
The Steelers need to bring in an offensive coordinator who will help Kenny Pickett improve and for the Steelers to see if he is indeed the QB of the future or if they need to look elsewhere for a QB.
Below, we discuss six possible offensive coordinator candidates the Steelers should look into hiring.
Possible Offensive Coordinator Candidates For The Steelers
The Steelers will be in the market for a new offensive coordinator.
They have been lacking on offense for a few years and will need a brand-new scheme.
Below are six candidates the Steelers should consider for the offensive coordinator position.
Kliff Kingsbury, USC Senior Offensive Analyst
Kingsbury is considered to be a QB whisperer, which is what the Steelers need with Pickett.
During his four-year run as the Arizona Cardinals head coach, Kingsbury helped Kyler Murray win Offensive Rookie of the Year and make it to two Pro Bowls.
Before that, he worked with Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech and helped Johnny Manziel win the Heisman Trophy in 2012 as Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator and QB coach.
He will be a hot name this offseason and will be a great help to mentor Kenny Pickett.
Klint Kubiak, 49ers Passing Game Specialist
Pittsburgh implemented several concepts from Sean McVay’s and Kyle Shanahan’s systems as the season unfolded.
The 36-year-old Kubiak has experience in that regard.
He helped devise an offensive game plan that gave Brock Purdy several easy reads.
He also has experience calling plays as the Minnesota Vikings’ offensive coordinator in 2021.
Kubiak would be a very beneficial asset and can help Pickett make significant strides next season.
Eric Bieniemy, Commanders Offensive Coordinator
After Bieniemy was passed up for head-coaching opportunities, he went to Washington to prove he could succeed without Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.
Washington fired Ron Rivera, which means Bieniemy could also be available.
The Steelers planned to be a run-heavy offense this year but Washington passed the ball more than any other team in the NFL this season.
This would be a big change for the Steelers but Bieniemy has proven to be a capable offensive coordinator.
Darren Bevell, Dolphins Quarterback Coach & Passing Game Coordinator
Darren Bevell is 54 years old and has worked with the likes of Brett Favre, Brad Johnson, Russell Wilson, Matthew Stafford, Trevor Lawrence, and now Tua Tagovailoa.
This season, the Dolphins had the league’s best passing offense and second-best scoring offense.
Sure, it helps to have Tyreek Hill but Bevell has done a very good job with Tua.
Bevell can be a huge help to improve Pickett.
Zac Robinson, Los Angeles Rams Quarterback Coach
The 37-year-old was promoted to QB coach and passing game coordinator ahead of the 2022 season.
Robinson is viewed as an up-and-coming coach, similarly to Tomlin when the Steelers hired him to be their head coach.
Robinson is another candidate who knows how to run the McVay offense.
A young and up-and-coming coordinator is exactly what the Steelers need for a fresh start on offense.
Mike Lafleur, Rams Offensive Coordinator
The younger brother of Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur is another Shanahan/McVay disciple.
He spent this season with McVay but the 36-year-old could be interested in calling the plays himself as he did with the New York Jets for two seasons (2021 & 2022).
Matt LaFleur has been very successful running the offense for the Packers and his younger brother could be a great asset for Pickett and the Steelers.
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