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Steelers Should Make This Massive Coaching Splash

The Pittsburgh Steelers should take a risk on a big-name offensive coach.

Noah Strackbein

Jan 13, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik before a 2024 AFC wild card game against the Cleveland Browns at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Jan 13, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik before a 2024 AFC wild card game against the Cleveland Browns at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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PITTSBURGH -- The Houston Texans know more than anyone else, but it's hard to wrap your brain around firing a coach a year after he was considered one of the best at his position. Maybe, the Texans are the opposite of the Pittsburgh Steelers, jumping the gun instead of waiting until the absolute last moment. And maybe, the Steelers should take advantage.

Only days ago, the Steelers were urged to add a bigger coaching name to their staff, bringing on a Senior Assistant on a consultant level. What they did three years ago with Brian Flores. And yes, the Texans offense took a significant step backward this past season, but they still made the Divisional Round of the playoffs, and the Steelers should be eager to call Bobby Slowik.

Slowik immediately becomes the top candidate for the Steelers to hire this offseason. The former Houston offensive coordinator was let go after the Texans offense and second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud struggled in 2024. Stroud finished with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions this past season after throwing 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions his rookie year.

Sophomore slumps happen in the NFL, though. Pittsburgh dealt with one of their own in Joey Porter Jr. It doesn't mean things are going wrong, it means there's more room for growth. Maybe Stroud's sophomore slump hit as well, along with several injuries across the entire offense, including names like Stefon Diggs and eventually Tank Dell.

The Steelers shouldn't hire Slowik as an offensive coordinator, but they'd be foolish not to speak to him about a Senior Assistant job. They saw the effects firsthand with Flores, improving their run defense from 32nd in the league to 9th in just a season.

On top of their faith in an already successful experiment, if they plan to bring back Justin Fields, why shouldn't they add more help for him? Arthur Smith, Tom Arth and Slowik sound like a quality veteran group of coaches, adding more knowledge and success to the ears and mind of Fields than anyone he's been around in his career.

View Fields as an 11th overall pick who has one last chance to be a franchise quarterback. If that's the thought, you get him as much help as possible.

Yes, there are concerns about a coach that had a bad season and just got fired. And yes, there will be push back saying Slowik and Arthur Smith could turn out to be two offensive coordinators who can't make it work anymore.

There's always the chance that Smith's offense is designed better for Fields. He was a big fan of the young QB during the season, and sure sounded like he was in favor of him keeping the job throughout the year. Maybe it's because he knew Fields has plenty of potential left.

For Slowik, his role can turn into anything big or small the team wants it too. But coming from the Kyle Shannahan tree as a passing game coordinator and then helping the No. 2 overall pick win AP Rookie of the Year feels like credentials to take a chance on him.

It's an offseason where the Steelers should be thinking and operating differently. It should now start with calling Slowik.

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Noah Strackbein
NOAH STRACKBEIN

Noah is the Publisher for All Steelers, Inside the Panthers (InsideThePanthers.com) and Inside the Penguins (InsidethePenguins.com), and is the host of All Steelers Talk (YouTube.com/AllSteelersTalk). A Scranton native, Noah made his way to the Pittsburgh sports scene in 2017. Now, he's pretty much full-yinzer.

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