The Pittsburgh Steelers may not be on the coaching market for anyone just yet, but some believe they should at least consider making a major move once the season is over.
Tomas Jaggi of FanSided urged the Steelers to pursue former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as the team's next offensive coordinator, adding that his availability could give Pittsburgh a chance to change its offense in a meaningful way.
As we all know, the Steelers haven’t exactly been a juggernaut on that side of the football recently.
“Perhaps the most surprising head coaching firing was Mike McDaniel,” Jaggi wrote. “After it appeared McDaniel's job was safe, the Miami Dolphins decided to part ways with their young, offensive-minded head coach less than a week after the end of the 2025 regular season, per Schefter.”
“Unlike Smith, McDaniel led his team to tremendous offensive success as a head coach,” Jaggi continued. “After finishing with the sixth-ranked offense as a first-year head coach in 2022, McDaniel's offense ranked number one in total offense and the number two scoring offense in 2023,” he wrote.
Pittsburgh has spent the past few seasons searching for offensive help, often leaning on its defense to win games for the offense. McDaniel’s track record shows that he could help, even if the talent on that side of the football isn’t as high as it should be.
“Now McDaniel is looking for work, and the Steelers should pick up the phone,” Jaggi wrote.
The Steelers are known for organizational stability, especially under Mike Tomlin, but stability isn’t always a good thing.
McDaniel’s offense is built to cater to speed, spacing, and a quarterback who can get the football out in time.
While the Steelers might not have that, pairing a creative offense with a defense that consistently ranks among the NFL’s best could put them in a position to win a Super Bowl every season.
The Steelers rarely make moves just to make them, but McDaniel’s is now the best offensive playcaller, by a wide margin, on the market.
Whether or not Pittsburgh ultimately makes a move, the idea is smart if the Steelers are serious about improving offensively.