The Pittsburgh Steelers will have several new faces in 2021. The inexperience will be present not only on the field but also within the coaching staff. The full-time, every-down running back will be a rookie. Along the offensive line, Pittsburgh is expected to trot out a starting lineup with a rookie and a tackle with two career starts. Their cornerback room is loaded with question marks. Finally, several Steelers coaches received promotions this off-season and entered their first year in a new role. This overall inexperience could pay dividends, but the risk is astronomical.
Inexperience Could Haunt 2021 Pittsburgh Steelers Coaches and Players
A Look at New Steelers Coaches
The most notable promotion on the Steelers coaching staff this off-season was Matt Canada. After spending just one season as the team’s quarterbacks coach, Canada was promoted to fill the vacant offensive coordinator position. Despite being only the quarterbacks coach in 2020, Canada had a noticeable impact on the offense. The Steelers used a lot of jet sweeps, pre-snap motions, and quick passes, all staples of Canada-led offenses from the past. His relationship with Ben Roethlisberger is one of the biggest storylines to watch for the Steelers. Pittsburgh also has a lot of talented skill position players who they’ll have to get the most out of.
Beyond Canada, there are two inexperienced Steelers coaches at important positions. First, offensive line coach Adrian Klemm will have his hands full in 2021. He spent the last two seasons as Pittsburgh’s assistant offensive line coach; now he’s the man in charge. Klemm will need to deal with completely rebuilding the identity of the Steelers offensive line. Only one starter from the 2020 line remains in 2021, so there is a lot of work to do.
Finally, there is first-year secondary coach Grady Brown. He, too, will have his hands full replacing a significant level of talent from 2020. Mike Hilton and Steven Nelson are both gone and there is not much depth in the Pittsburgh cornerback room. If Brown can’t get the most out of the group, the dominant Steelers defense fans have come to know the past few years could be much worse in 2021.
Young Players Will Play Key Roles
Najee Harris may be the young Steeler receiving the most attention but he is far from the only one. Joining the rookie running back on offense is rookie tight end Pat Freiermuth, who is expected to play a significant role. Further, third-round pick Kendrick Green is projected to be the team’s starting center. Green seems to have a lot of upside, but he only made four collegiate starts at center, so it stands to reason he will struggle at first. Other projected starters on the offensive line are Kevin Dotson (second-year player, four career starts) and Zach Banner (fourth-year player, but two career starts). There is a lot of youth on the offense, both among the Steelers coaches and players.
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Defensively, the story remains the same for Pittsburgh. The inexperience is mostly concentrated in the secondary. They should make a move before the season starts to add a cornerback. Assessing who they have now, another established veteran would prove beneficial. Beyond Joe Haden and Cameron Sutton, there is nothing.
As the roster currently stands, James Pierre is expected to be the third cornerback. An undrafted free agent in 2020, Pierre played 27 defensive snaps as a rookie. Justin Layne is another cornerback in the mix. Entering his third season, Layne has played 117 defensive snaps, all of which were in 2020. There will be young rotational players at other positions, but the secondary is the main concern right now for the Steelers.
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