Last week, the Steelers unexpectedly announced the firing of senior special teams coach Derrius Swinton. The firing was later revealed to be a case of “workplace misconduct.” Swinton has been hired just several months prior to the new head coach, Mike McCarthy, expanding the Steelers coaching staff as a whole.
Whether the Steelers would pursue another special teams coach seemed to be a fair question, given that Danny Crossman is already an experienced special teams coach. However, McCarthy confirmed to reporters after the first day of mandatory minicamp practice on Tuesday that the team is already in the process of hiring a replacement for Swinton.
Crossman was originally hired with Swinton to give each other an assistant, and it seems as though that is still the plan for the Steelers. It makes sense for the Steelers to bring in another special teams coach, given the expanded staff under McCarthy, but it also shows that the team is putting more emphasis on special teams than in years past.
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The Steelers invested in their special teams heavily this offseason, signing kicker Chris Boswell to a massive extension, making him one of the highest-paid kickers in NFL history. The team also invested in return specialist Kaden Wetjen in the fourth round of the draft in hopes of giving the Steelers a dynamic designated return man that they have lacked in recent years. Special teams is clearly a priority for McCarthy and the Steelers entering 2026, and they aren’t done adding just yet.
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