Steelers Could Pursue Former Patriots Head Coach

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in need of a new inside linebackers coach after Aaron Curry was hired by the New York Jets last week. The team could benefit from bringing in an experienced candidate for the role, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ray Fittipaldo may have found the perfect fit.

In an appearance on the North Shore Drive podcast, Fittipaldo named recently fired New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo as an ideal candidate for the Steelers' opening.

"Mayo has never played or coached anywhere else," Fittipaldo said. "He's always been a Patriot; obviously he'll be looking for a job now. I like that idea. Bring somebody in who's been a part of successful teams and see what he can add to your program. There's a bunch of guys who are going to be out there like him, but Mayo would be perfect because he played linebacker in the league."

While Fittipaldo is correct in stating that Mayo was a part of well-off groups in New England, that viewpoint does come with a caveat.

In his only year as the Patriots' head honcho, the team finished with a 4-13 record. Despite his status as Bill Belichick's hand-picked successor, the organization moved on from him in favor of Mike Vrabel last month.

To cut Mayo some slack, he didn't exactly step into the most favorable situation in the world. The team also went 4-13 in 2023, and they made few improvements to the roster outside of selecting quarterback Drake Maye with the No. 3 overall pick entering this past season.

Regardless, it's still indicting that he was let go after just one go-around. At the same time, that shouldn't stop the Steelers from pursuing, and potentially offering, Mayo a spot on their coaching staff.

As a player, Mayo was a two-time Pro Bowler (2010, 2012) and one-time first-team All-Pro (2010) while also winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2008. In his eight professional campaigns, all of which came in New England, he recorded 802 tackles, 11 sacks and eight forced fumbles while helping the team win Super Bowl XLIX over the Seattle Seahawks in 2014.

Mayo later served as the Patriots' inside linebackers coach from 2019 to 2021 before shedding that title and guiding the entire position group in 2022 and 2023.

There's no harm in Mike Tomlin reaching out to him and gauging his interest in coming to Pittsburgh. Mayo's been around the game for a long time and understands what it's like on both sides of the coin as a player and coach.

As a result, he is about as qualified of an inside linebackers coach as you'll find, and adding him could go a long way towards fortifying the staff heading into the 2025 season.

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