It is anticipated that the coaching staff of the Pittsburgh Steelers will undergo several adjustments during the 2024 offseason. The most evident is that the team plans to employ an outside applicant to fill the position of offensive coordinator. It’s said that the hunt has already started. That is going to be the first thing to go before the other dominoes start to fall. Despite several rumors that he was thinking of leaving the team, Mike Tomlin will be back as the head coach. The months running up to the new league year, which starts in the middle of March, will be an exciting one for the team.
On Tuesday morning, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette stated that even though Austin’s contract expires at the end of the 2023 season, Tomlin and he are anticipated to return to the sidelines.
“Teryl Austin is anticipated to return as defensive coordinator after the Steelers finished sixth in the league in 2023 with the fewest points allowed. Austin’s two-year contract expired after the season.”In the NFL, points per game is a crucial factor. Although the offense failed to produce points for most of the season, an average of fewer than 20 allowed is something to be pleased of. It seems obvious that the summer focus should be on developing an offensive strategy that can win games in shootouts in the event that Austin’s team struggles sometimes.
Regarding the defense, there are still a few unanswered concerns. Keeanu Benton appears to be a solid defensive lineman for the club, but the ages of Cameron Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi aren’t exactly reassuring the fan base that the position is set for the future. A large defensive lineman is likely to be selected by the Steelers early in the 2024 NFL Draft.
There are also doubts about the secondary. The verdict is still out on Cory Trice Jr. after his season was abruptly ended in training camp due to an ACL tear. Joey Porter Jr. had an incredible rookie year. Minkah Fitzpatrick is in charge of the backend, but external support and safety measures are also required to ensure the stability of the secondary as a whole.
It will be interesting to hear about what Austin’s new contract looks like. It’s doubtful the Steelers would only give him one more year, so fans can expect it to be another two-year agreement like he signed originally. Matt Canada was a shocking in-season fire, so if the team struggles out of the gate on defense, no one should expect Austin to go anywhere. It is Tomlin, at the end of the day, that has the most say on what happens defensively.
Steelers’ Austin Was Reportedly In Running For Collegiate Position
It was reported back in November that Austin could be a candidate to become Syracuse University’s next head coach. That never came to fruition, but could be something to look out for in 2024 heading into 2025. If he was potentially entertaining the move to college, a top offer could take him away from the Steelers before his new contract expires. For now, though, Austin is expected to be back on the sidelines in 2024.
