As the Pittsburgh Steelers begin their quest for a new offensive coordinator, there’s one thing that we must all keep in mind. The old saying is that “it takes two to tango” meaning that we may be interested in someone but is that guy interested in us? You may wonder as to who wouldn’t be interested in coaching with Mike Tomlin and for one of the great franchises in pro sports but there’s something you need to keep in mind.
Younger, up and coming candidates will be intrigued at the thought of coaching in Pittsburgh but just being an offensive coordinator is likely not their ultimate goal. Most are interested in following the footsteps of guys like Matt LaFluer, Sean McVay or even Mike Tomlin in terms of becoming head coaches at younger ages. That can’t happen however if you suddenly take a step back due to sub par quarterback play. That… brings me to my point.
A guy like Zac Robinson for example who the Steelers have interest in and will interview, is he going to want to deal with Kenny Pickett and potentially Mason Rudolph? He could go to New England where he’s likely to have a Caleb Williams or Drake Maye to work with as rookies. He could even choose Las Vegas where it seems like the Raiders will select a quarterback in round one too. This isn’t a knock on Pickett or Rudolph, it’s more a knock on the situation.
Pickett is heading into his third year and he has to make the jump that so many believe he will under a coordinator not named Matt Canada. Does any young coordinator want to risk his career on that? Now if Pickett does go on to have a great third season then a new OC would suddenly become an even hotter commodity. You could even say the same for Rudolph. While much further along in his career, can you imagine what a new coordinator would gain by improving his play?
I’m not saying that there isn’t a young, rising star that wouldn’t take the job in Pittsburgh but they know what we know. A good QB can cover up a lot of warts while a bad one can reveal them. That’s not good for someone looking beyond just a coordinator position.
