Chargers could lose Jesse Minter, possibly as Steelers' Mike Tomlin replacement

The Los Angeles Chargers have the hottest head-coaching candidate in the entire NFL.

One would think that honor goes to a major name like John Harbaugh. But with nine jobs now up for grabs, the top honor indeed goes to Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Pittsburgh Steelers have requested an interview with Minter after being informed of Mike Tomlin’s departure from the role.

That’s the newest bit of intel on Minter…but it’s hardly the only one.

The day before Tomlin left the Steelers and news of this connection broke, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer revealed that all eight of the openings had reached out about Minter in some capacity:

Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has interview requests from the Browns, Cardinals, Dolphins, Falcons, Giants, Raiders, Ravens and Titans, per source. That's right—all 8 teams with openings put in for him.

Minter is interviewing with the Titans and Cardinals today.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 13, 2026

Chargers’ Jesse Minter linked to Steelers

Two things should really go without saying when it comes to Minter’s outlook on the head-coaching market:

The Steelers are obviously the best landing spot for him

He more than deserves all of this attention

On point No. 2, Minter has long established himself as one of the premier defensive minds in the NFL. His scheme gets the most out of everyone from extreme free-agent castoffs to late-round picks in a division with Patrick Mahomes and others.

About the first point, while some of these job openings are with good franchises and/or have exciting young quarterbacks to build around for the future, this is the Steelers we’re talking about here.

The Steelers have had just a handful of coaches over decades, so Minter, if picked, would be walking into a situation of extreme patience. His defensive-minded ways would certainly mesh well with the vibes of that organization, too.

The Chargers, of course, would prefer not to lose Minter at all. And if they must, one could argue they would rather he goes and joins the NFC.

Losing Minter isn’t a guarantee despite the immense interest, but the Chargers already need to focus on replacing the now-fired offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Also needing to replace one of the game’s best defensive minds would present quite the challenge for a team already tasked with finding a number of big answers to tough questions this offseason.

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