The AFC North is getting a serious facelift this offseason - and not just on the field. For the first time in years, three of the division's cornerstone franchises are heading into the 2026 season with new head coaches.
Kevin Stefanski is out in Cleveland, John Harbaugh is gone in Baltimore, and yes, even Mike Tomlin has moved on from Pittsburgh. That’s a seismic shift in one of the NFL’s most consistently rugged divisions.
But amid all the change, one move in particular stands out - and it’s coming from the Steel City. Mike McCarthy, now leading the Steelers, is bringing in a familiar AFC North name to help reshape the team’s identity in the trenches: Domata Peko.
Yes, that Domata Peko - the longtime Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle who spent over a decade clogging up running lanes and making life miserable for opposing offenses. He was a staple of those physical, grind-it-out Bengals teams, and he knew all too well what it meant to line up against the black and gold. Now, he’ll be wearing those colors himself, taking over as the Steelers’ new defensive line coach.
It’s a full-circle moment that’s bound to raise some eyebrows in Cincinnati, where Peko’s passion and toughness made him a fan favorite. But make no mistake - this is more than just a headline-worthy hire. It’s a calculated move by McCarthy to bring in a coach who knows the AFC North inside and out, and who brings firsthand experience of the kind of trench warfare that defines this division.
Peko’s coaching résumé may still be in its early stages, but he’s been moving fast. After a brief stint coaching the defensive line under Deion Sanders at Colorado, he got a taste of the NFL sidelines in 2024 with Mike Zimmer and the Dallas Cowboys. That’s two strong defensive minds he’s already worked under - and now he gets the keys to one of the most tradition-rich defensive units in football.
There’s no denying it’s going to be strange seeing Peko on the other side of the AFC North rivalry - especially when the Steelers line up across from Joe Burrow and the Bengals. But if there’s anyone who understands what it takes to dominate the line of scrimmage in this division, it’s him.
He’s lived it. And now, he’s tasked with teaching it.
For Pittsburgh, this move signals a clear intent: get tougher up front, get nastier in the trenches, and lean into the kind of physical, relentless identity that’s long defined Steelers football. And for Peko, it’s a new chapter - one that takes him from AFC North warrior to AFC North architect.