It did not take long for the drastic changes to start happening with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Following their disappointing loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Divisional Game, change was almost inevitable.
This time, it resulted in Tomlin parting ways with offensive coordinator Todd Haley. As a result, there had been some speculation as to what other changes would be made to the coaching staff. However, it seems the defensive side of the ball may be immune to any future changes, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has told his defensive coaches he is not going to make any changes and intends to bring that portion of his staff back next season, per a team source.
The news may come as a sigh of relief for the defensive coaching staff. However, they would be wise to take Tomlin's promise with a grain of salt based on the charismatic coach's history with such situations. Tomlin had initially given the same spiel to former offensive coordinator Bruce Arians back in 2011. The Steelers decided not to offer Arians an extension and subsequently replaced him with Haley.
The release of Haley was a bit of a surprise considering the Steelers were considered perhaps the most high-powered offense in the NFL. However, it seems defensive coordinator Keith Butler is in the clear to resume his duties with two years remaining on his contract despite the Pittsburgh defense falling short of expectations this season, particularly during their playoff game against the Jaguars.
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