Steelers Suddenly Connected To Young Defensive Mastermind As Mike Tomlin’s Replacement

The AFC North is tight at the top between the Steelers and  Baltimore Ravens, with the winner of the division clinching a spot in the postseason and the loser likely being eliminated from contention. This win over the Lions was a gigantic victory for Pittsburgh as playoff scenarios are starting to come alive. Former head coach, Mike Tomlin quickly stepped

If Smith does get a head coaching job, the team could hire Kingsbury and potentially get an upgrade at the position. There’s no doubt that Kingsbury was not good as a head coach, but like Smith, he may be more comfortable as an offensive coordinator. Like Smith, Kliff Kingsbury has also taken up an offensive coordinator gig to try and fix his reputation after he struggled hard as a head coach. Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (97) during a regular season matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins. Judon played 13 games for the Dolphins this season, and with his release, he’d be a consistent player in terms of availability, something that would massively benefit the Steelers on defense.

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The Steelers are now set to face an elite Houston Texans defense on Monday Night Football in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. They eclipsed over 100 yards in all except one, which was a win against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14. Judon would also add another veteran presence to the locker room, something that would continue to be beneficial to the Steelers, especially after seeing the impact other veteran presence has had on the offensive side of the ball.

Smith did well with what he had in front of him, but there could be more with the current Commanders’ offensive play-caller. In 2024, Kingsbury was more successful in developing Daniels and turning him into a quality starting-caliber quarterback than the Steelers have with any prospect since Roethlisberger, who was drafted three years before Tomlin was hired. The Steelers will most likely be drafting a quarterback at some time in the 2026 NFL Draft. In fact, he could be the forward-thinking mind that the Steelers desperately need to allow its offense to reach its full potential.

Former Dolphins linebacker Matthew Judon (8) during a regular season matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins. The Steelers saw linebacker Nick Herbig exit the game with a hamstring injury, all while already missing superstar linebacker TJ Watt in this game, and the team also saw left guard Isaac Seumalo exit around the middle of the matchup. Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell (14) during a regular season matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins. Pittsburgh is close to capturing its first division title since the 2020 season, which would allow the franchise to host a playoff game for the first time since that same season. That makes the next week of preparation ultra-important, especially since it is a game the Steelers should be able to win.

The Steelers will be hosting this contest with the Ravens, and the group won the first matchup between the two sides earlier in the season. The Steelers are currently preparing for a game against the Detroit Lions, and that is going to be a hard contest to win. That would eliminate the scenario where the Ravens drop each of their next two games and the Steelers split their next two contests in order to clinch the division. The winner would likely be the four-seed, and the loser’s season would be over with — assuming one of the long shot Wild Card scenarios doesn’t come to fruition. The Ravens are currently 7-7, and Baltimore and Pittsburgh are set to clash in Week 18 for what could be a playoff-type game that would decide the division.

Judon now heads to the waiver wire, and if he goes unclaimed by any team, he will hit free agency and be able to sign with any organization he pleases. Despite the positive momentum this win generated for the Steelers, this game didn’t come without some new problems emerging. Overall, the win was as dominant as you can get on both sides of the ball, continuing the positive momentum as the playoff push begins in earnest. The Pittsburgh Steelers took care of business on Monday night, defeating the Miami Dolphins in one of the best performances, if not the best performance the Steelers have put up throughout the course of the 2025 regular season. Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers throwing ball downfield in Steelers Week 14 Game at Baltimore Ravens

Mike Tomlin Sends Direct Message To Steelers’ Locker Room After Narrow Victory Over Lions

Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers embraces Head Coach Mike Tomlin after a big win on the road against the Detroit Lions in Week 16 of the 2025 NFL Season.

NFL insider Albert Breer revealed on Friday that the longtime head coach may be considering stepping away from the sidelines. If the Steelers blow the division once again, many questions will be heading Mike Tomlin’s way about his ongoing playoff drought. The loser will see their 2025 season come to an end, making this one of the most high-stakes matchups in the rivalry in recent years. The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting ready to play the Baltimore Ravens for a winner-take-all, hat and t-shirt game on Sunday night. Despite the great first season in Washington there was the aforementioned report where there is supposedly a “disconnect” from the executives and the offensive coordinator.

Steelers’ Mike Tomlin walks out of the tunnel ahead of a game against the Ravens in Baltimore during the 2025 season. That kind of flexibility and modern approach is exactly what teams look for when considering the next generation of head coaches, especially organizations searching for a new voice and a fresh vision. Tomlin has not won a playoff game since the 2016 season, and while the idea of Pittsburgh outright firing him has long sounded far-fetched, the pressure continues to build as the years go by without postseason success. Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin and former quarterback Kenny Pickett speak to one another on the sideline as the team participates in a professional football game on the road. On top of that, Head Coach Mike Tomlin has never had a quarterback develop properly in his 19-year tenure as head coach, aside from Ben Roethlisberger.

With Warren getting extended before the season, Gainwell may have played his way to a bigger contract elsewhere. The Steelers’ lack of trust in their young offensive weapons is alarming. Many speculate that he’s likely played his last game as a Steeler. The Steelers’ failure to draft and develop offensive skill positions is starting to bite them. However, the game has just seemingly moved too fast for Johnson to start his career. Johnson was supposed to fit right into the Steelers’ offense, coming from a wide-zone heavy offense in college.

Judon could serve the Steelers well as a depth or rotational piece come playoff time, giving the Steelers even more options at linebacker should they need it. The Steelers have been labeled an intriguing option for a team that could end up claiming Judon, primarily due to the injuries the team has at linebacker. Amid the speculation on where Judon could eventually land, whether being claimed by a team or free to sign where he wants in free agency, one option has already generated some speculation. The injuries to both Herbig and Seumalo are still being evaluated and both are questionable for the upcoming matchup against the Detroit Lions. The Steelers did what they had to do to put themselves firmly in control of the AFC North with three more weeks left to play.

He started the regular season as a kickoff returner, something he had never done in college. The Steelers are hoping to keep this momentum of the ground game going in the postseason. In those games, the Steelers have run the ball extremely well.

• This will make the challenge for Baltimore’s struggling offense much easier.
• After a rough head coaching tenure, Arthur Smith has seemingly revived his reputation while working in Pittsburgh.
• Stability has long been Pittsburgh’s identity, but stability without postseason success can eventually turn into stagnation.
• Baltimore is currently behind Pittsburgh in the AFC North, and the Steelers have a chance to clinch the division prior to the Week 18 rematch between the two teams.

He finished his season with 28 rushes for 69 yards, averaging 2.5 Y/A. Chris Adamski of TribLive spoke to Johnson on Friday and had much to say about his rookie season. Johnson has since gotten very few snaps a game at running back. However, that just hasn’t been the case; Johnson had an underwhelming training camp and preseason. Luckily for the Black and Gold, the game is in Pittsburgh.

This is one of the instances where a Week 18 matchup is a playoff game essentially in its own right, despite the fact that it is still being played under the guise of a regular season matchup. The team currently has a record of 8-6, which gives it the lead in the AFC North with just three games remaining in the regular season. Steelers linebacker TJ Watt attempts to sack Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson during Pittsburgh’s win in Week 11 of the 2024 NFL regular season. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025 in Baltimore, MD. Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers throwing the ball downfield in the team’s Week 14 game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Steelers’ Alex Highsmith goes for a sack on Jayden Daniels during Week 10 of the 2024 regular season That dynamic offense helped take the team to its first NFC Championship Game since the 1990s. With how strong the Washington Commanders’ offense was in 2024 with then-rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, his name has started floating around again. His name has been connected to a bunch of other teams as a potential head-coaching candidate. After a rough head coaching tenure, Arthur Smith has seemingly revived his reputation while working in Pittsburgh.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had many reports surrounding their offensive coordinator come out as the 2025 season comes to a close. They aren’t allowing their players to develop heavily in in-game situations. He, like Johnson, have been scratched for the last few games. Wilson played in one game in his rookie season, where he logged just five snaps.

If Pittsburgh wants a legitimate chance at the postseason, the Ravens need to drop the next two games while Pittsburgh wins at least one, or the Steelers need to win the next two games while the Ravens lose at least one as mentioned above. The Steelers decided they’d seen enough from the rookie, who was inactive for the last three games of the regular season. The Pittsburgh Steelers have won four of their last five games of the regular season to clinch the AFC North for the first time since 2020.

For the first time in four years, Rodgers is positioned to make the postseason with legitimate expectations. Of course, all of this speculation could disappear quickly if the Steelers beat the Ravens and go on a deep playoff run. Stability has long been Pittsburgh’s identity, but stability without postseason success can eventually turn into stagnation. “The Steelers, Ravens and Bills have generated conversation in recent weeks,” Breer said. Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin roams the practice field as his team works out during a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.

If Baltimore wins, a clinching scenario still exists in Week 17 if the Ravens lose to the Green Bay Packers and the Steelers take down the Browns. Pittsburgh’s win over Detroit now allows the Steelers to win over the Browns in Week 17 and clinch the division as long as the Ravens lose on Sunday Night Football in Week 16. Steelers’ Mike Tomlin upset with officials on the sideline during a win over the Dolphins at home in 2025. “We ain’t got time for Victory Mondays, and that’s what I told the team.”

This will make Aviator the challenge for Baltimore’s struggling offense much easier. Robert Spillane is the leader of that defense and a very underrated inside linebacker that used to don the black and gold, but he has already been ruled out for the game. Baltimore is currently behind Pittsburgh in the AFC North, and the Steelers have a chance to clinch the division prior to the Week 18 rematch between the two teams.