The Pittsburgh Steelers had a lot of departures this offseason. They lost running back Le'Veon Bell to the Jets, and receiver Antonio Brown to the Raiders. The media coverage of the Bell and Brown sagas was endless, and you'd be forgiven for forgetting anything else about the Steelers.
But despite what you'd be led to believe, there were other significant happenings for Pittsburgh this offseason that didn't involve Bell or Brown. The team also lost longtime offensive line coach Mike Munchak, who left to take the same position with the Denver Broncos. Munchak wanted to go somewhere he could be closer to his family, and his contract was up.
Unfortunately for the Steelers, it's a pretty massive loss. During a recent radio appearance, Chris Mortensen of ESPN revealed that the Steelers were still hurting over the loss months later.
“The hiring of Mike Munchak was one of the biggest offseason acquisitions of this NFL period,” he said on Orange and Blue 760 last week. “Go talk to the Steelers. They're still crying tears over that one.”
It's not shocking, as Munchak has been widely regarded as one of the best position coaches in the league for years now. Munchak was the Titans' head coach for three years from 2011-13 before being fired.
He then settled in Pittsburgh, where he spent the next five seasons. He had several opportunities to interview for bigger jobs, but never took them. The Steelers' offensive line was always elite under Munchak, and they're clearly worried about the impact his departure might have on the team. The Broncos, on the other hand, likely feel like they pulled off a coup, as their offensive line is in desperate need of development.
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