The New York Jets are continuing to reshape their coaching staff, and their latest addition brings both experience and a proven track record of player development. Former Steelers tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts is heading to New York to take on the same role, marking the second coach from Mike Tomlin’s staff to make the move to the Jets this offseason. Defensive line coach Karl Dunbar joined earlier, and now Roberts brings his veteran presence to a team looking to elevate its offensive identity.
Roberts spent the last five seasons in Pittsburgh, where he played a key role in molding a young and promising tight end group. Under his guidance, Pat Freiermuth emerged as one of the league’s more reliable pass-catching tight ends, while Connor Heyward and Darnell Washington showed steady growth in complementary roles. Roberts helped shape a unit that blended blocking toughness with receiving versatility-something the Jets could use as they continue to build around their young core.
Before his time in Pittsburgh, Roberts had already built an extensive résumé. He served as the Chargers’ tight ends coach in 2020, and prior to that, he worked with their running backs from 2017 to 2019. That versatility-being able to coach multiple offensive positions-speaks to his broader understanding of offensive schemes and how tight ends fit into the bigger picture.
And this is far from Roberts’ first rodeo. He’s one of the most experienced tight ends coaches in the NFL, having spent time with six other franchises before landing in New York.
His coaching journey includes stops with the Jaguars, Browns, Buccaneers, Colts, and of course, the Chargers and Steelers. The Jets will be the seventh NFL team to tap into his expertise, and that kind of longevity doesn’t happen by accident-it’s earned through consistent results and strong relationships in the league.
But Roberts’ football story goes back even further. A Fort Lauderdale native, he was a standout tight end at the University of Miami during the Hurricanes’ national title runs.
That college success led to him being selected in the eighth round of the 1988 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. He played three seasons in Kansas City before joining the Dallas Cowboys, where he was part of two Super Bowl-winning teams in the early ‘90s.
So when Roberts walks into a tight end room, he’s not just bringing coaching acumen-he’s bringing championship pedigree.
His departure from Pittsburgh comes during a time of transition for the Steelers. After Mike Tomlin stepped down from his role in mid-January, the organization gave its assistant coaches the green light to explore other opportunities, unless the incoming head coach chose to retain them.
New Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy has opted to keep only quarterbacks coach Tom Arth and linebackers coach Scott McCurley. While McCarthy had initially planned to retain defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander, Alexander ultimately accepted a new role with the Minnesota Vikings as their defensive pass game coordinator and DBs coach.
For the Jets, Roberts’ arrival is another piece of a larger puzzle as they aim to build a staff that can maximize the talent on the roster and finally push the franchise toward long-awaited postseason success. With a seasoned coach like Roberts in the fold, the tight end group-and the offense as a whole-just got a little bit stronger.