The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a significant change to their coaching staff just months before the start of the 2026 season according to a report from Adam Schefter. “Steelers and Sr. special teams coach Derrius Swinton have parted ways due to violation of club policy, per league sources.”
Swinton had joined Pittsburgh in February as part of Mike McCarthy’s new coaching staff and was expected to play an important role within the special teams unit. His arrival was viewed as a key addition to support special teams coordinator Danny Crossman, who took over following the departure of longtime coach Danny Smith.
The timing of the move comes as the Steelers continue preparing for a season with high expectations surrounding Aaron Rodgers and a roster built to compete for a playoff run.
Why Steelers fired coach Derrius Swinton?
The Steelers have not publicly disclosed the specific reason behind Derrius Swinton’s dismissal. However, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor later provided additional details regarding the situation.
“Though the Steelers declined to provide the exact violation, Swinton, who was hired as part of new coach Mike McCarthy’s staff earlier this year, was dismissed due to workplace misconduct, a team source told ESPN.”
Before joining Pittsburgh, Swinton built an extensive NFL résumé working with several teams across the league. During his coaching career, he held assistant roles with the Chiefs, Broncos, Raiders, Bears, Cardinals, Chargers, Lions and 49ers.
