The Pittsburgh Steelers are a rare organization in the NFL. They value consistency and loyalty, and thats show in the fact that the organization has only had three head coaches since the hiring of Chuck Noll back in 1969. Now, Mike Tomlin is running the show for his 18th season and he currently has the title of the longest tenured head coach in the league. Tomlin has seen many players and figures come through the organization since he first arrived in Pittsburgh, and he often keeps his former players close to him.
Tomlin has a lot of pride in the culture he has built in Pittsburgh, and that shows with how often he gets his former players involved with the team. For instance, Ike Taylor has a role in the scouting department for the Steelers, and Ryan Shazier helped out as a coach during Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and training camp. Tomlin sat down with one of his mentors, Tony Dungy, and Tomlin shared what he has seen from Shazier as a coach and a leader.
"That's what its about, you know. Ryan has a unique relationship with this game. He has a passion for it, he has a thirst for knowledge regarding the game that he loves to share with others. He did that as a player. He has all the tools to be a really good coach man, and I'm just excited to be a part of that component of his continued relationship with the game."
Shazier doesn't currently have a role on the coaching staff, but it's not unheard of that former players will help teams out during training camp and other offseason training sessions. It introduces players to the idea of coaching, and allows them to learn more about the game aside from just playing it.
The former linebacker was a great leader during his playing days for the Steelers as well. The organization selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, and he impressed almost immediately. He struggled with injuries during his rookie season but showed a lot of promise, and it became clear as the years went on that Pittsburgh had themselves a stud at linebacker.
A part of Shazier's unique relationship with the sport of football also includes the way it was taken from him. The former linebacker suffered a serious spinal injury during the 2017 season, which ended his career. He had to learn how to walk again, but he never had a chance to step on the field as a player again.
Now Shazier's career may just be coaching. Tomlin clearly believes his former player has what it takes to be a leader and teacher, and he may give him that opportunity in the future. Pittsburgh's defensive coaching staff is good, but they could certainly benefit from adding a former player like Shazier.
The Steelers Have Been Trying To Fill Ryan Shazier's Shoes For A While
When Shazier went down in 2017 it was devastating. It was an eye opening experience for fans as they got shown just how much these athletes sacrifice, and the kind of risk they are taking when they take the field. Two years after the injury, Pittsburgh tried to find their next star linebacker by selecting Devin Bush in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. This didn't work out as the two sides moved on following the 2022 season.
Pittsburgh has tried to fix their issue at inside linebacker countless times, through multiple different avenues of player acquisition. It finally seems as though they have a solid solution with the trio of Elandon Roberts, Patrick Queen, and Payton Wilson. Queen was an exciting free agency signing, but Wilson is a really intriguing player. This a guy that the organization believes they can rely upon for the foreseeable future, and he has already shown flashes of being a great player early on in his rookie year.
