Former Steelers’ success highlights Pittsburgh’s serious coaching problem.

Former Steelers’ success highlights Pittsburgh’s serious coaching problem.

Several former Steelers have had successful careers after leaving Pittsburgh.

This becomes even more infuriating when you consider Kevin Dotson’s season with the Los Angeles Rams. In late August, the Steelers exchanged their former fourth-round pick, as well as their 2024 fifth and sixth-round picks, for the Rams’ fourth and fifth-round picks.

Since then, Dotson has gone from being a backup guard for Pittsburgh to being one of the best guards in the NFL this season. He’s PFF’s fourth-highest grading run blocker this season, which has helped Kyren Williams rack up the league’s seventh-most rushing yards. Dotson is also a better pass blocker than current Steelers guard Isaac Seumalo.

Dotson is far from the only former Steeler to be shining this season. Hell, he isn’t the only former Steeler currently with the Rams having a bounce-back season. Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon was one of the worst cornerbacks in football last season. This year, he’s tied for sixth in passes broken up and has three interceptions.

Staying out west, Robert Spillane is a defensive captain with the Las Vegas Raiders and is second amongst linebackers with three interceptions. Plus, he’s been one of the best run defenders in the NFL this season.

All of these guys who were either middling rotational pieces, or players who were fading into obscurity, are now have renaissance seasons away from Pittsburgh. Is it any coincidence that as soon as Levi Wallace becomes the predominant No. 2, the same spot Witherspoon held last season, he all of a sudden looks awful? At the end of the day, this mainly falls on coaching at all levels of the staff. And more so, it falls on Mike Tomlin for keeping the worst coaching staff in football employed for this long.