The Steelers opted for an outside OC hire, adding Arthur Smith, but both halves of their interim setup from last season — Eddie Faulkner and Mike Sullivan — remain with the team. Sullivan drew OC interest elsewhere, after calling the plays for a Mason Rudolph-led offense that ended up in the playoffs, but he is in place as a Steelers senior offensive assistant. Faulkner remains the team’s RBs coach. Smith should be considered likely to include the duo in his game plans, per The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly, who adds ousted OC Matt Canada was not known for a collaborative approach. Canada did not receive input from staffers especially well, Kaboly notes, before becoming the historically rare Steelers assistant fired in-season.
Here is the latest from AFC coaching staffs and front offices:
- One of the Broncos‘ HC candidates in 2023, David Shaw is now in place to work remotely as a staffer under Sean Payton and George Paton. Shaw has coached with the former (on Ray Rhodes‘ 1997 Eagles staff) and began communicating with the GM more often since the January 2023 interview. Months after the longtime Stanford HC’s interview, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes he expressed an interest to Paton regarding work in NFL personnel. During the time between his Broncos connections, Shaw interviewed for the Chargers and Titans’ HC jobs. The Paton conversations, with likely help from the Stanford ties owners Greg Penner and Condoleezza Rice have, led to the longtime Stanford coach landing with the AFC West franchise.
- Elsewhere on the Broncos’ staff, InsidetheLeague.com’s Neil Stratton notes Ty Murphy has moved from scouting intern to pro scout. Murphy initially caught on with the team in July 2023.
- Four years ago, the Chargers were new on the analytics front. They hired Aditya Krishnan to lead that department in February 2020. Early in Jim Harbaugh‘s tenure, the Bolts are moving in a different direction. Krishnan, who held the title of football research and analytics director, is no longer with the team, according to ESPN.com’s Seth Walder. While new regimes shake up staffs, it will be interesting to see how Harbaugh goes about assembling an analytics department in Los Angeles.
- The Jaguars are also losing an experienced staffer. Brian Squeglia, who worked as an area scout for the past six years and spent eight seasons in Jacksonville, is leaving the team, per Stratton. Squeglia is set to remain in the industry but is not planning to work for another team presently.
- The Titans added two staffers recently, with Walder indicating they hired Erin Psajdl Davis and Alex Rogers as analysts. Psajdl Davis comes over from the Chiefs, having worked on the business side in Kansas City. She previously held a football-related role in Houston. Rogers interned for the Saints previously.