The Pittsburgh Steelers did not finish the season the way they wanted to, considering that during the campaign the team seemed to give the image of being able to fight to reach the Super Bowl. After the tough elimination in the Wild Card Division, Mike Tomlin could see a noticeable change in his staff for the 2025 NFL season.
At the press conference following the loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Tomlin announced that the Steelers would be making changes on many levels for the upcoming season. One of those changes is beginning to take shape in the coming hours, specifically with an eye toward strengthening the Steelers defense.
The string of five consecutive defeats collapsed expectations of fighting to go far in the postseason and made Pittsburgh start thinking about its offseason with changes that include names in the Tomlin’s staff, as well as defining who will be its quarterbacks after the termination of Justin Fields and Russell Wilson’s contracts.
The veteran member of Tomlin’s staff who could leave the Steelers
According to ESPN writer Brooke Pryor on her X account (formerly Twitter), defensive line coach Karl Dunbar could leave the Steelers as he becomes a free agent. The member of Tomlin’s staff had a contract that ran through the end of the 2024 season.
Dunbar has been with the Steelers since 2018, coaching the defensive line with key players such as Cam Heyward and TJ Watt. He is one of Tomlin’s longest-tenured staff members in Pittsburgh. Unless a new deal is reached, the veteran assistant would no longer be a part of the franchise.
Will Dunbar stay with the Steelers?
For Dunbar to stretch his seven-year cycle with the Steelers requires that he receive a new contract, unless Tomlin’s staff member wants a change of scenery. The defensive line coach previously worked in the same role with the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears before joining Pittsburgh.