After some brief speculation about the team’s head coach was quickly settled, the Pittsburgh Steelers now actually do have a big decision to make on their coaching staff.
They need a new offensive coordinator.
Now one of the team’s captains has chimed in with his thoughts on the team’s OC options.
During the January 19 episode of his “Not Just Football” podcast, Cameron Heyward named Eric Bieniemy, Shane Waldron, and Bobby Slowik as candidates he’d like to see get the job.
“A guy like Eric Bieniemy, who’s had a lot of success in Kansas City,” Heyward said. “A name that’s been talked about, not just with the Steelers, talking offensive coordinators in general, is Shane Waldron, Bobby Slowik. I don’t like to play GM, but there are some interesting names out there. It’s got to be a guy that’s able to get a lot of guys involved and lead a group, so it’s going to be interesting.”
Unfortunately for Heyward, the Steelers are going to have a tough time landing anybody on his list.
The Bears hired Waldron after this episode of the podcast aired.
Slowik is currently interviewing for head coaching jobs and is seen as one of the favorites to take over in Tennessee. Even if he doesn’t get a head coaching job, he won’t be leaving C.J. Stroud and the Texans to head to Pittsburgh.
Bieniemy is in an intriguing situation, albeit being extremely unlikely as well. The Commanders are searching for a new head coach in addition to having a new general manager and owner.
In 2023, the Commanders’ offensive woes may be attributed primarily on Sam Howell rather than Bieniemy.
It would be shocking to see Bieniemy searching for a different position, but if he doesn’t get elevated to head coach, the new administration might decide they want a complete overall as they are ready to choose their franchise quarterback.
Even though the Steelers won’t have access to those alternatives, they still have a few candidates to choose from for this crucial addition.
A Pivotal Decision for the Steelers
The Steelers’ choice at quarterback is going to be the one that steals most of the headlines during the offseason, but the team’s OC choice is just as important if they’re going to fix their offense.
There were only four NFL teams that scored less than the Steelers in 2023. One of them had a rookie QB.
Two others played most of their season with a backup quarterback.
The other is preparing to get a new QB.
quarterback long quarterback Mitch Trubisky wasn’t playing, the Steelers’ offense had one bright spot: they looked better after benching Canada.
They even scored more than 20 percent of their season’s total points in just Weeks 16 and 17.
The team cannot afford to risk the offense with another offensive coordinator.
In order for the team to compete with some of its top talents as they search for their next quarterback, Kenny Pickett needs to mature into at least a dependable starter by 2024. If not, that window will close.
Whether the Pickett decision turns out to be successful will be greatly influenced by who they select as their next offensive coordinator.
Fortunately, they have a wide range of possibilities.
Plenty of Options Being Thrown Around
While the Steelers probably won’t be getting any of the coordinators Heyward named, there are still plenty of options available for them to take a look at.
Alex Van Pelt was recently let go by the Browns despite the team finishing 10th in points scored in 2023 while starting four different quarterbacks and playing without their star running back for most of the season. Van Pelt was drafted by the Steelers in the 90s.
The Steelers could look to bring in Pep Hamilton after considering him for the job the last time it became available. Hamilton didn’t coach in 2023 after a rough 2022 with a bad Texans team, but a successful stint with the Colts before that could make him an appealing option.
Darrell Bevell is a member of Miami’s formidable offensive team and has previously worked as a coach with Mike Tomlin.
Some names that have even been mentioned as possibilities to return from college to the NFL are Chip Kelly and Cliff Kingsbury.
There will be no shortage of possibilities for the Steelers to select from. Simply said, they must choose carefully, or else the offense might suffer once more in 2024.
John Vaccaro is an NFL reporter for Heavy.com, where he primarily covers the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. He has worked as an editor and writer for BroBible and FanSided, covering the NFL, NBA, MMA, and college sports in the past.A bit more about John Vaccaro
