The Steelers and Bengals have never needed much help turning up the heat when they meet on the gridiron. For the better part of the last two decades, their rivalry has been one of the NFL’s most volatile-defined by bruising hits, trash talk, and more than a few post-whistle dustups. Names like Vontaze Burfict and Adam “Pacman” Jones became lightning rods for controversy, embodying the edge-of-control energy that often spilled over when these two AFC North foes clashed.
But amid all that chaos, there was one Bengal who earned respect on both sides of the line of scrimmage: Domata Peko.
Now, in a twist that speaks volumes about how football reputations are built and remembered, Peko is joining the very franchise he spent years trying to beat. The former Cincinnati defensive tackle has been hired as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ new defensive line coach.
Peko, who anchored the Bengals’ interior from 2006 to 2016, was a constant presence in those heated matchups. Yet, according to former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Peko was never part of the extracurriculars that defined the rivalry’s ugliest moments.
“When you went to Cincinnati, you knew you were going to be sore because of the cheap shots,” Roethlisberger said on his podcast, Footbahlin. “But Domata wasn’t one of those guys.
He was a guy you respected. He respected the game, he respected the players, so I have a lot of respect for him.
I think that’s a great pickup for them.”
That kind of endorsement from a longtime rival isn’t handed out lightly. It speaks to Peko’s reputation as a pro’s pro-tough, physical, but always within the boundaries of the game.
And now, he’s bringing that same mindset to a Steelers defensive line in transition.
Peko’s coaching journey has taken him from the NFL sidelines to the college ranks and back. After a stint as a defensive assistant with the Cowboys in 2024, he spent last season working under Deion Sanders at Colorado, coaching up the Buffaloes’ defensive front. That blend of NFL experience and college development gives him a unique perspective-one that should serve him well in Pittsburgh, where the defensive line is undergoing a generational shift.
Veteran anchor Cam Heyward remains the heart and soul of the unit, but at 35 and with injuries starting to stack up, the Steelers know it’s time to cultivate the next wave of talent. That includes promising second-year tackle Keeanu Benton and recent draft picks Yahya Black and Derrick Harmon-young, moldable players with the raw tools to become long-term contributors.
That’s where Peko comes in.
He’s walked the walk as a 12-year NFL veteran. He understands the grind of the trenches, the nuances of leverage and hand placement, the importance of discipline and gap integrity. And perhaps most importantly, he knows what it takes to earn respect in a league that doesn’t hand it out easily.
The Steelers have long prided themselves on tough, smart, physical defense. With Peko now leading the charge in the trenches, they’re betting that tradition is in good hands.