Report: ‘Awkwardness’ could force Steelers’ Mike Sullivan out of Pittsburgh

Mike Sullivan could be a casualty of the Pittsburgh Steelers staffing re-shuffle, according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac.

After Matt Canada was given his walking papers midseason, Sullivan took over play-calling duties while Eddie Faulkner was named interim offensive coordinator.

While the offense showed sparks over their final four games, Dulac wrote that Sullivan isn’t likely to be retained “because of the potential awkwardness it could create with a new coordinator.”

The Steelers’ hunt for their next offensive coordinator, their first outside OC hire since Todd Haley in 2012, is underway. Keeping Sullivan on staff isn’t conducive to the dynamic they’ll look to create.

“No coordinator would want the coach who previously called the plays looking over his shoulder,” wrote Dulac.

Sullivan has served as Pittsburgh’s quarterbacks coach since 2021. There’s been no news about whether Faulkner will be retained as running backs coach.

Despite inconsistencies in offensive line play, Dulac expects Pat Meyer to be retained. In addition to line coaching duties, he serves as the team’s run game coordinator, installing run plays in the game plan.

The ground game has shown improvement in the two years since Meyer was brought on.

Najee Harris (1,035 yards) and Jaylen Warren (784) enjoyed the second-most (Lions’ David Montgomery-Jahmyr Gibbs) yards of any running back tandem in the NFL with 1,819 combined rushing yards.