The Pittsburgh Steelers are deep into their search for a new head coach following Mike Tomlin’s departure, and the clock is ticking. With four of the NFL’s ten head coaching vacancies already filled and more dominoes likely to fall soon, Pittsburgh’s front office-led by team president Art Rooney II and GM Omar Khan-is feeling the pressure to make a decisive move.
One name that’s been on their radar from the start: Chris Shula.
Shula, currently serving as the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, fits the Steelers’ mold almost perfectly. He’s young, defense-oriented, and would be stepping into his first head coaching role-traits that align with the franchise’s historical preferences. In many ways, he checks every box the Steelers have traditionally looked for in a leader on the sideline.
But here’s where things get complicated.
The Rams are still alive in the postseason, having already knocked off the Panthers in the Wild Card round and outlasted the Bears in an overtime thriller in the Divisional round. That playoff run is great news for Shula’s résumé-it shows he can help lead a defense deep into January-but it also puts the Steelers in a bind.
Because while Pittsburgh has conducted a virtual interview with Shula, they haven’t yet met with him in person. And if the Rams beat the Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game this Sunday, Shula’s availability becomes even more limited.
Technically, coaching candidates from teams playing in the conference championships can be interviewed starting Monday. But if the Rams punch their ticket to the Super Bowl, Shula will be tied up with L.A. for at least two more weeks. That’s two critical weeks where he won’t be able to fully engage with Steelers brass, tour the facility, or begin mapping out a vision for the team.
And that timeline matters. A lot.
NFL teams don’t like heading into the offseason without a head coach in place. The Super Bowl might be the league’s biggest stage, but for front offices, the real work begins immediately after. The East-West Shrine Bowl kicks off just two days after the Super Bowl ends, and the Senior Bowl-one of the most important scouting events of the year-follows shortly after.
If the Steelers want their next head coach to have a hand in shaping the offseason-from draft evaluations to staff hires-they’ll need someone who’s fully available. That’s where Shula’s extended playoff run could become a hurdle.
And it’s not just Shula. The Rams’ passing game coordinator, Nate Scheelhaase, is also reportedly on Pittsburgh’s radar. He’d be in the same boat-unable to devote full attention to the Steelers until after the Super Bowl, if the Rams get there.
Now, if the Steelers believe Shula (or Scheelhaase) is the right guy, they’ll wait. You don’t pass on your top choice just because the calendar is tight.
But there’s no denying that a Rams win on Sunday would complicate Pittsburgh’s timeline. With other teams locking in their hires and the offseason ramping up fast, the Steelers are facing a decision that’s as much about timing as it is about talent.
So as Sunday’s NFC Championship approaches, the Steelers will be watching closely-not just as football fans, but as a franchise trying to figure out whether their preferred coaching candidate will be available when they need him most.