ST.Pittsburgh Steelers Could Bring Back Larry Foote as Defensive Coordinator in 2026. This is the perfect time to bring back a familiar face like Larry Foote. His leadership and experience will bring the defense back to its roots

The main focus for the Pittsburgh Steelers is without a doubt finding a new head coach to lead the franchise moving forward. Once that finally occurs — and it could take some time — a large majority of the current staff is not expected to be welcomed back. When someone is hired to lead a locker room, that individual typically wants to have a say in which coaches are a part of the operation. That means that, depending on if the newcomer has an offensive or defensive mindset, positions all the way up to the coordinator level will have refreshing names in charge.

Mike Tomlin was a leader of men for almost two decades in the Steel City. The amount of players and coaches that had the privilege of working with him will rarely ever say anything bad. Now that he has stepped down, a new tradition will begin in Pittsburgh, but that doesn’t mean a little wrinkle of the old is a bad thing, especially because the team was consistently winning football games.

If the Steelers end up making an offensive hire for the vacant head coaching position, the keys to the kingdom on defense will need to be passed on. There may not be anyone better than a former Steelers Super Bowl champion who has experience playing under Tomlin and Dick LeBeau, but also coaching with Todd Bowles, a respected defensive mind throughout the NFL.

Larry Foote was a member of the Steelers from 2002 through 2013 (aside from one gap year in 2009). The vicious inside linebacker was an underrated staple that embodied what it meant to play in Pittsburgh. When the Steelers faced off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2025 preseason, Bowles allowed Foote to call plays against his former team. Pittsburgh’s offense — albeit not first-stringers — was held to just 14 points.

The former linebacker is not new to coaching. He got into immediately after retiring and has been on a staff every year dating back to the 2015 campaign. He has worked his way up with Tampa, and holds experience operating as both a passing and running game coordinator. He also officially holds the title of being a linebackers coach for the Buccaneers, working with both the inside and outside guys during his tenure.

It’s fair to argue that the Steelers got away from their old ways in recent years. Getting gashed on the ground in the postseason is never something that would have been tolerated while Foote was playing. The two-time Super Bowl winner would be a new voice in the locker room as a coach, but he would immediately demand respect as someone who has been there and done that.

It’s not far-fetched to think that he could still come to town even if a defensive head coach is hired. While the new leader in the locker room may be calling the plays, it would be a promotion for Foote to land a defensive coordinator gig. He has lurked in the shadows as a member of the Buccaneers for several years, even surviving a head-coaching change after the 2021 campaign.

Steelers fans would welcome the idea of Foote coming back to the Steel City. It might be the perfect opportunity for him to get his big break at the coaching level, but it all depends on what the new hire wants to do with the defense.

Steelers Have To Be Intrigued By The Idea Of Larry Foote Helping The Defense

Both Art Rooney II and Omar Khan know Foote due to his near decade-long tenure with the organization. It should not come as a surprise at all if the brass in Pittsburgh asks the soon-to-be new head coach for a favor right off the bat; bring Foote in for an interview, and he may bring some sort of normalcy to a locker room that could be working with a new leader that isn’t all too familiar with the Steel City.

As Mike Vrabel and the Patriots’ staff were deciding who would back up Drake Maye this past offseason, the group looked at free-agent quarterback Jarrett Stidham. Nearly 10 months later, Stidham – who ultimately re-signed with the Denver Broncos – will be under center Sunday against the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.

Stidham will start the AFC Championship game for injured Bo Nix.

As Mike Vrabel and the Patriots’ staff were deciding who would back up Drake Maye this past offseason, the group looked at free-agent quarterback Jarrett Stidham.

Nearly 10 months later, Stidham — who ultimately re-signed with the Denver Broncos — will be under center Sunday against the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.

“It was kind of ironic, just speaking with his agent. They’re like, ‘Well, if you don’t want your starter to get hurt, sign Jarrett.’ That was before yesterday or two days ago,” Vrabel said.

Stidham will be thrust into action after Denver starter Bo Nix suffered an ankle fracture in the Broncos’ divisional-round victory last weekend.

Stidham played just four snaps for Denver this season and has not thrown a pass in game since Jan. 7, 2024. When he takes the field Sunday, it will mark 749 days since his last pass attempt — more than double the longest gap between attempts for a quarterback starting a playoff game since 1950.

Still, the Patriots are expecting the best from the 29-year old, who was originally drafted by New England back in 2019 before following Josh McDaniels to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022.

“Just going back to when Josh had him and playing against that,” said Vrabel, “I think he sees things really well. I think he’s athletic enough to extend, like we talk about a lot of quarterbacks. Accuracy. I think the decision-making – he’s really decisive in the games that we went back and watched. This is even going back to when I was in Tennessee as well.”

“Sean [Payton], he gets his guys ready to go,” linebacker Christian Elliss added. “Honestly, whoever’s at the helm, they’re going to be ready to play and they’re going to be a challenge in themselves. Everyone’s in this league for a reason. From my experience and from watching them, Sean has been just a really good coach at getting them prepared and getting them in the right state of mind.”

Broncos head coach Sean Payton is clearly a fan of his backup. In Payton’s first year in Denver, he signed Stidham away from Las Vegas on the first day of free agency. This past offseason, Stidham’s extension made him the highest-paid backup quarterback in the league at the time of signing.

“Stiddy’s ready, and we’ll be ready for the next challenge,” Payton said after announcing Nix’s injury. “I’ve said this at the beginning of the season, I feel like I have a [No.] 2 [quarterback] that’s capable of starting for a handful of — a number of teams. I know he feels the same way. So watch out. Just watch.”