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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

Ryan Tannehill On Steelers’ Radar?

February 11th, 2024 at 4:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

After Will Levis took over for an injured Ryan Tannehill midway through the 2023 season, the latter’s Titans tenure appeared to come to a close. Tannehill is a pending free agent, but he should draw interest from a number of potential suitors.

One of those is likely to be the Steelers, Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network write. Pittsburgh hired ex-Falcons head coach Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator, meaning a Tannehill deal would mark a reunion. He and Smith worked together in Tennessee, during which time Tannehill had the most productive seasons of his career.

Smith served as the Titans’ OC in 2019 and ’20, Tannehill’s first two campaigns in Nashville. He earned his lone Pro Bowl nod, along with Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2019 while averaging a league-leading 9.2 yards per attempt. The former Dolphins first-rounder followed that up with 3,819 yards and a 33:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio, proving to be a solid fit in Smith’s run-heavy scheme. With Levis now in the fold, though, Tannehill (along with fellow stalwart Derrick Henry) is on track to depart in free agency.

In three seasons since Smith parlayed his coordinator success into Atlanta’s head coaching gig, Tannehill has regressed statistically while dealing with multiple injuries. In November, he was demoted to backup behind Levis, who showed flashes in his rookie campaign. Tannehill – who insisted he did not seek out his release in the aftermath of that decision – started the final three games of the campaign with Levis sidelined, giving him one last audition period before reaching the open market.

Tannehill, 35, is one of several veteran signal-callers in this year’s projected free agent class. Kirk Cousins, Baker Mayfield and Gardner Minshew could command more lucrative deals if they do not remain with their respective teams, but Tannehill could at least compete for a starting role in the right environment. Pittsburgh has Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky in place for now, but changes at the position are expected.

Trubisky is likely to be released after finding himself demoted to third-stringer, while Rudolph is a pending free agent. He could be retained, but a new deal would likely depend on the potential of winning the starting position in training camp. Pickett is under team control for at least two more years, but he was passed over in favor of Rudolph during the team’s late-season playoff push and wild-card loss. The 2022 first-rounder will enter the offseason as QB1, but a competition will take place.

Tannehill will be in line for a far smaller deal than the four-year, $118MM pact he signed in 2020 on his next contract. The Steelers, meanwhile, are among the teams currently set to be over the salary cap for the 2024 league year, although they like all others will make a number of cost-cutting moves in the coming weeks. Any interest between the two parties will be worth watching as the QB market begins to take shape.

Latest On Steelers Coaching Staff

February 10th, 2024 at 12:11pm CST by Ben Levine

With Arthur Smith now in place as offensive coordinator, the Steelers continue to make changes to their offensive staff. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported earlier this week that wide receivers coach Frisman Jackson wouldn’t be back next season. The organization was quick to fill that vacancy, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler later reported that the Steelers were hiring Jets assistant Zach Azzanni for the job.

[RELATED: Steelers Hire Arthur Smith As OC]

While Jackson previously worked alongside Smith when the two were in Tennessee, he couldn’t overcome the underwhelming performance from his WRs corps in 2023. Both George Pickens and Diontae Johnson drew criticism for their lackadaisical play, and since the Steelers aren’t completely revamping their offensive staff, it sounds like part of blame has been attributed to the veteran coach.

So, the team will turn to Azzanni to help revamp the receivers room. The 47-year-old coach has had multiple stops as a WRs coach, including stints with the Bears, Broncos, and Jets. During his five years in Denver, he was tasked with the development of Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy.

The Steelers have also added former Chargers assistant Tom Arth as their new QB coach, per Dulac. The team has since announced the move. There were reports from earlier this week that Mike Sullivan would be retaining his job as Steelers QBs coach. That didn’t end up coming to fruition, but it sounds like Sullivan is expected to stick around Pittsburgh in a different role. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston reports that the team has also let go of assistant quarterbacks coach David Corley.

Arth was most recently the passing game specialist for Brandon Staley in Los Angeles, where he worked extensively with Justin Herbert for two years. Following a playing career that saw him briefly serve as Peyton Manning‘s backup in Indianapolis, Arth served as the head coach at John Carroll, Chattanooga, and Akron.

Sullivan took on the role of co-offensive coordinator (alongside RBs coach Eddie Faulkner) following the firing of Matt Canada back in November. A former offensive coordinator with the Buccaneers and Giants, Sullivan had served as Pittsburgh’s quarterbacks coach since the 2021 season, guiding the team through the transition from Ben Roethlisberger to Kenny Pickett.

2024 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

February 9th, 2024 at 1:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a crowded carousel previously stopped, the 49ers opened their defensive coordinator position. Here is how the NFC champions’ search looks:

Updated 3-2-24 (10:00am CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Dave Ragone)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Ken Dorsey)

  • Joe Brady, interim offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (Bills): Hired
  • Thad Lewis, quarterbacks coach (Buccaneers): Interviewed

Carolina Panthers (Out: Thomas Brown)

  • Marcus Brady, senior offensive assistant (Eagles): Interview requested
  • Brad Idzik, wide receivers coach (Buccaneers): Hired

Chicago Bears (Out: Luke Getsy)

Cincinnati Bengals (Out: Brian Callahan)

  • Andy Dickerson, offensive line coach (Seahawks): To interview
  • Dan Pitcher, quarterbacks coach (Bengals): Promoted

Cleveland Browns (Out: Alex Van Pelt)

Las Vegas Raiders (Out: Mick Lombardi)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Kellen Moore)

New England Patriots (Out: Bill O’Brien)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Pete Carmichael)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Brian Johnson)

  • Jerrod Johnson, quarterbacks coach (Texans): Interviewed
  • Kliff Kingsbury, senior offensive analyst (USC): Interviewed 1/23
  • Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Chargers): Hired

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Matt Canada)

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Shane Waldron)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Dave Canales)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Tim Kelly)

  • Nick Holz, passing game coordinator (Jaguars): Hired
  • Thad Lewis, quarterbacks coach (Buccaneers): Interviewed
  • Eric Studesville, associate head coach/running backs coach (Dolphins): Interview requested

Washington Commanders (Out: Eric Bieniemy)

  • Chip Kelly, former head coach (Eagles/49ers): On team’s radar
  • Kliff Kingsbury, senior offensive analyst (USC): Hired

Defensive Coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Ryan Nielsen)

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Mike Macdonald)

  • Zach Orr, inside linebackers coach (Ravens): Promoted

Buffalo Bills

  • Bobby Babich, linebackers coach (Bills): Promoted
  • Mike Caldwell, former defensive coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed
  • Sean Desai, former defensive coordinator (Eagles): To interview

Chicago Bears (Out: Alan Williams)

  • Joe Barry, former defensive coordinator (Packers): To interview 1/27
  • Chris Harris, secondary coach (Titans): To interview
  • Eric Washington, assistant head coach/defensive line coach (Bills): Hired
  • Terrell Williams, assistant head coach/defensive line coach (Titans): To interview

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Dan Quinn)

Green Bay Packers (Out: Joe Barry)

Jacksonville Jaguars (Out: Mike Caldwell)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Derrick Ansley)

  • Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator (Michigan): Hired

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Raheem Morris)

Miami Dolphins (Out: Vic Fangio)

New England Patriots

  • DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Patriots): Promoted
  • Michael Hodges, linebackers coach (Saints): To interview
  • Tem Lukabu, outside linebackers coach (Panthers): To interview
  • Christian Parker, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Interviewed

New York Giants (Out: Don Martindale)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Sean Desai)

  • Mike Caldwell, former defensive coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed
  • Vic Fangio, former defensive coordinator (Dolphins): Hired
  • Ron Rivera, former head coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/22

San Francisco 49ers (Out: Steve Wilks)

  • Gerald Alexander, safeties coach (Raiders): Interviewed 3/1
  • Daniel Bullocks, defensive backs coach (49ers): Interviewed 2/28
  • David Merritt, defensive backs coach (Chiefs): To interview
  • Nick Sorensen, defensive passing game specialist (49ers): Promoted
  • Brandon Staley, former head coach (Chargers): Interviewed

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Clint Hurtt)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Shane Bowen)

  • Brandon Lynch, cornerbacks coach (Browns): Interviewed 1/30
  • Dennard Wilson, defensive backs coach (Ravens): Hired

Washington Commanders (Out: Jack Del Rio)

  • Joe Cullen, defensive line coach (Chiefs): Considered a candidate
  • Joe Whitt, defensive backs coach (Cowboys): Hired

Steelers To Retain Mike Sullivan

February 8th, 2024 at 3:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

FEBRUARY 8: Pittsburgh will follow through with the plan to keep Sullivan, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. With a new OC in place, the Steelers considered shifting Sullivan away from his role as quarterbacks coach. But he will stay on in that capacity for a fourth season.

FEBRUARY 1: The Steelers have hired Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator, following through with Mike Tomlin‘s plan to look outside the organization to officially replace Matt Canada. Being just the second Steelers OC hire that did not involve an in-house promotion this century, Smith may still be tied to some of Canada’s assistants.

Closing the 2023 season as Pittsburgh’s play-caller, Mike Sullivan has interviewed for the Raiders and Saints’ offensive coordinator positions. Both remain open. Generally, coordinators have autonomy to recommend candidates to join them as they implement their systems. Smith, however, will be expected to retain Sullivan.

If Sullivan fails to land one of the open OC jobs, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac notes the Steelers expect to have him remain as quarterbacks coach. Sullivan is popular with the team’s QBs, and although it would make for a slightly unusual setup in which the team’s previous play-caller remains in place as a new one takes over, it appears that is the plan for now.

Smith will have input as to how the Steelers structure their offensive staff, Dulac adds, stopping short of indicating the new OC will have freedom to greenlight hires. Sullivan and Eddie Faulkner split OC duties following Canada’s ouster, with Faulkner receiving the title and Sullivan calling plays. This setup helped Tomlin once again avoid a sub-.500 season, with Mason Rudolph piloting the team to its third playoff berth in four years.

The Steelers hired Sullivan as QBs coach in 2021. After serving as Ben Roethlisberger‘s final position coach, Sullivan has mentored Kenny Pickett. Art Rooney II confirmed (via ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor) the Steelers still believe in the 2022 first-round pick, with the owner’s recent comments coming after Tomlin indicated the Pitt product would enter the offseason as the starter. After managing just 13 touchdown passes in 25 games to start his career, Pickett’s time as the Steelers’ unquestioned QB1 is over. The Steelers are interested in re-signing Rudolph, but it would also not surprise to see them pursue a more established veteran in free agency to compete with Pickett.

Seeing as the Steelers are interested in retaining Canada-era assistants on offense, will be interesting to see how their 2024 staff looks. Sullivan, 57, served as the Buccaneers and Giants’ OC at points during the 2010s. Pickett’s early performance level is not a ringing Sullivan endorsement, but even as Smith prepares to install his system, the Steelers value their previous play-caller as a part of this developmental process.

RB Le’Veon Bell Aiming For Steelers Return

February 5th, 2024 at 3:28pm CST by Adam La Rose

Le’Veon Bell has not played in the NFL since 2021, but he is aiming to change that soon. The former All-Pro running back recently went public with his intention to return to the NFL.

Bell made it clear in a series of Snapchat videos that he will train this offseason in a bid to find an NFL opportunity. More specifically, though, he added that he is targeting a return to the Steelers, with whom he started his career. Bell played five seasons in Pittsburgh.

“And I’m gonna be honest with myself, I got to go out there and be like, I’m going to put my foot in the ground,” Bell said. “Do I feel it? Am I hurting? Can I go out there and really play again? And bro, I’m telling you all right now when I go out there and train in March and if I hit April and I make this decision to come back to play in the NFL again, mark my words down – I will be better than I ever was.

“And I will only come back for that one team. You all know who it is. I don’t have to say no team. You all know who it is.”

Bell’s Steelers tenure ended when he sat out the 2018 season, refusing to play on the franchise tag. That move allowed him to depart in free agency on a four-year, $52.5MM deal with the Jets the following year. His New York tenure (and the brief stints with the Chiefs, Ravens and Buccaneers which followed) did not go as planned, however. The three-time Pro Bowler has been out of football for the past two seasons, and he will be 32 by the time the 2024 campaign begins.

Those factors would weigh heavily against any player, let alone a running back. The position’s market has taken a downturn in recent years in large part due to the fall-off in production experienced by players as they reach their late 20s. In 2017, Bell received a league-leading offensive 402 touches, so past workloads would also be a concern for any interested teams.

The Michigan State alum has expressed regret for departing the Steelers, but it would be a surprise if Pittsburgh reciprocated his desire to explore a deal. The team has Jaylen Warren under contract for two more years, and Najee Harris is likely to have his 2025 fifth-year option picked up. With their backfield tandem seemingly in place for the short-term future, the Steelers are unlikely to have much interest in any signficant RB moves this offseason. If Bell manages to return to game shape, though, he could be a name to watch in free agency.

Steelers Hire Arthur Smith As OC

January 30th, 2024 at 9:49pm CST by Adam La Rose

Not long after Arthur Smith landed on the radar of the Steelers for their offensive coordinator vacancy, an agreement has been reached. The ex-Falcons head coach is expected to take over as Pittsburgh’s OC, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Smith’s three-year run at the helm of the Falcons came to an end on Black Monday after he posted a third consecutive 7-10 record. An inability to maximize the team’s potential at the offensive skill positions played a key role in that decision, but Smith boosted his stock during his previous time as OC of the Titans.

The recently fired HC will now return to a coordinator posting featuring a run-based attack, with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac indicating this is expected to be a three-year deal.

During a press conference yesterday, Steelers owner Art Rooney II confirmed the team would likely have its next OC in place in the near future. He added that a clear profile was in place with respect to what Pittsburgh was targeting, given the plans for the offense. Smith was interviewed on Sunday, and that meeting has now produced an agreement.

As Pelissero notes, Smith was on the radar of other teams (although his Steelers summit was his only known interview). Indeed, it had been recently reported that the 41-year-old was likely to land a coordinator gig during the 2024 hiring cycle despite the underwhelming nature of his Atlanta tenure. The Falcons ranked no better than 15th in scoring under Smith, though the team’s struggles can be traced in large part to a lack of consistent high-end play at the quarterback position.

In Pittsburgh, Smith will enter a situation which is not entirely settled under center. 2022 first-rounder Kenny Pickett remains in place atop the depth chart for now, but an offseason competition for the starting spot should be expected. Mason Rudolph is a pending free agent, but he could find himself on a new Steelers contract, especially if a path exists for him to claim the full-time No. 1 role. Smith will be tasked with developing Pickett or overseeing a transition to a new passer.

Smith spent 10 years on the Titans’ staff, including a pair of seasons (2019-20) as the team’s offensive coordinator. During that time, a ground-heavy approach yielded a top-four showing in both total and scoring offense in 2020. Smith’s HC stock rose to the level that he landed the Falcons gig, but it has obviously taken a hit over the past three campaigns. This opportunity will allow him to rebuild his value on at least a coordinator level.

Matt Canada entered the 2023 season with signficant pressure, and the Steelers made an all-but unprecedented move in firing him midseason. It has been clear for some time that an outside hire would be made, and Pittsburgh spoke with a pair of external candidates (Panthers OC Thomas Brown and Texans QBs coach Jerrod Johnson) before landing on Smith.

With a running back tandem of Najee Harris (who will likely be in place through at least 2025) and Jaylen Warren, Smith will have the pieces in place to continue the run-heavy approach which yielded success late in the year for Pittsburgh. The impact he makes on the team’s offense will be a key factor in determining the Steelers’ ability to at least replicate their run to a wild-card spot in 2024.

Steelers, Arthur Smith Discuss OC Job

January 28th, 2024 at 1:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Arthur Smith‘s name came up about coordinator jobs this week, though no teams were tied to the three-year Falcons HC just yet. At least one is now.

The Steelers will meet with Smith about their OC opening Sunday, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. This marks Smith’s first connection to a team since the Falcons began Black Monday — at 12:01am ET — by firing him. Pittsburgh just saw Smith’s most recent employer interfere with its OC search, and Mike Tomlin will soon gauge the veteran play-caller’s fit for his team. The Steelers are preparing to hire an OC from outside the organization; they have only done this once (Todd Haley, 2012) this century.

Zac Robinson received a Steelers OC interview request, but he has instead committed to the Falcons. When Atlanta chose Raheem Morris over Bill Belichick, an immediate connection linked Robinson to following his recent Rams coworker to Georgia. That came to fruition, with the Falcons hiring the popular OC candidate. The Steelers have also interviewed Panthers OC Thomas Brown and Texans QBs coach Jerrod Johnson.

While Smith’s stock has dropped since he moved to the hot seat in Atlanta, it is not long ago he was an in-demand HC candidate. Essentially the 2021 coaching carousel’s Ben Johnson equivalent, Smith chose the Falcons. He was unable to turn the team around, but even as Atlanta conducted a rebuild effort, Smith immediately had the team at 7-10 in back-to-back seasons despite dead money piling up. The 7-10 mark the Falcons posted in 2023 looked a bit different, considering what they had invested in the team by this point. Two ugly losses — to the Bears and Saints — prompted the Falcons to fire Smith.

Smith, 41, has worked as an NFL play-caller for the past five seasons. His two-year run as Titans OC, replacing Matt LaFleur, commanded extensive interest. The Titans journeyed to the 2019 AFC championship game, re-routing their season after a 2-4 start. Smith was given appropriate credit for reviving Ryan Tannehill‘s career. Tannehill’s 9.6 yards per attempt that season remains tied for eighth all time; only Kurt Warner has bettered that mark in a season since the 1950s. Smith also unleashed Derrick Henry, with both of the bulldozing running back’s rushing titles coming during Smith’s Tennessee play-calling tenure.

The Falcons boasted the NFL’s No. 3-ranked rushing offense in 2022, largely under Marcus Mariota, but struggled consistently to pass during Mariota and Desmond Ridder‘s seasons as the primary quarterback. The Falcons ranked 26th in scoring offense this season. Considering the Steelers are again centering an offseason around Kenny Pickett development, Smith’s recent past with QBs is notable. Given Smith’s experience, however, it would surprise if he did not receive a second chance as a coordinator.

Steelers Expected To Exercise RB Najee Harris’ Fifth-Year Option

January 28th, 2024 at 12:17pm CST by Rory Parks

The Steelers are expected to exercise running back Najee Harris‘ fifth-year option prior to the May 2 deadline, per Mark Kaboly of The Athletic (subscription required). That maneuver would give Harris a fully-guaranteed salary of $6.66MM for the 2025 season (he is due to earn $2.44MM in 2024 on the fourth and final year of his rookie contract).

The running back market has notoriously grown stagnant in recent years, and Harris was one of the high-profile RBs to publicly voice his frustration with that trend. In June, Pittsburgh GM Omar Khan suggested that surging prices for quarterbacks naturally create the need to cut costs on other areas of the roster, and like his fellow top execs, Khan might not have an appetite for authorizing a lucrative second contract for a running back in light of the position’s high attrition rate, especially for workhorse backs like Harris.

Of course, the Steelers are in quarterback limbo at the moment, as 2022 first-rounder Kenny Pickett has struggled through his first two professional seasons, and Mitchell Trubisky is the only other quarterback under club control for 2024. But regardless of whether the Steelers add a notable QB contract to their books this offseason, the relatively small fifth-year salary for Harris in 2025 should be easy enough to absorb. Whether extension talks take place between now and the end of the 2025 campaign, however, is an entirely different story.

Mason Rudolph, who just finished a one-year veteran minimum deal, was inserted into the starting lineup in Week 16 after Trubisky struggled in relief of an injured Pickett. That switch coincided with a heavier reliance on the running game, as Harris tallied 72 carries over the final three contests of the regular season and racked up 312 yards (4.33 YPC) and four TDs in the process. Efficiency had been a problem for Harris, but that productive stretch helped him finish the year with a YPC over 4.0 for the first time in his career and underscored his potential upside. Whomever the Steelers hire as their next OC should have a productive RB tandem in Harris and Jaylen Warren, who was a UDFA in 2022 and who is therefore entering a platform campaign.

Another decision that Khan will have to make this offseason is not as clear as the call to pick up Harris’ option. We recently heard that stalwart DT Cam Heyward may be contemplating retirement following a 2023 season marred by a serious groin injury, and while Kaboly says Heyward would like to return for at least one more season (subscription required), the decision is not his alone. The Steelers can cut the six-time Pro Bowler and save roughly $10MM against the 2024 salary cap after accounting for dead money, but as Kaboly notes, ownership would probably rather eat Heyward’s salary than release him given what he has meant to the franchise.

In other words, if Heyward is able to continue playing, the team will welcome him back. Although Kaboly does not say so, it is presumably still possible that player and team work out a short-term extension to smooth out Heyward’s $22MM cap hit in 2024.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/26/24

January 26th, 2024 at 10:18pm CST by Ely Allen

Friday’s minor transactions:

Kansas City Chiefs

Pittsburgh Steelers

After missing the Divisional Round matchup with the Bills due to a triceps injury, Nnadi has been placed on injured reserve. This ends the season for another Chiefs starter as the team continues to limp its way through the postseason.

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