Pittsburgh Steelers interview Thomas Brown for offensive coordinator job

The Pittsburgh Steelers announced Wednesday they’ve interviewed Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown for their offensive coordinator vacancy.

Brown, 37, spent the 2023 season as the offensive coordinator in Carolina, a title he still holds even as the Panthers search for their next head coach. Brown called plays for the Panthers after the organization parted ways with head coach Frank Reich. Carolina finished last in yards per game (265.3) and points per game (13.9).

Prior to joining the Panthers, he spent three years as an assistant for the Los Angeles Rams under head coach Sean McVay. Before entering the NFL ranks, Brown had stops at Georgia, Chattanooga, Marshall, Wisconsin, Miami and South Carolina at the collegiate level.

The Steelers are looking for a new offensive coordinator after firing Matt Canada in-season and head coach Mike Tomlin announcing that neither Mike Sullivan nor Eddie Faulkner, who together ran the offense after Canada’s firing, would be in contention for the permanent role.

Steelers in need of big upgrades on offense

Pittsburgh’s offense struggled in 2023, finishing 25th in yards per game (304.3) and 28th in points per game (17.9). No playoff team had a more difficult time than the Steelers in moving the ball this season. Tomlin said during his end-of-season press conference he is looking for an offensive coordinator with experience.

“I want us to be versatile and dynamic,” Tomlin said. “We want to score more points. I want to be able to keep defenses off balance. I want to utilize all the talents we have at our disposal.”

Of course, the key to having a dynamic offense is having the right guy at the quarterback position. Whether that guy is on the roster or not, remains to be seen. 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett failed to regain his starting job after returning from injury, with Mason Rudolph starting the final four games of the season, including the AFC Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Tomlin said that Pickett will enter the offseason as the starter, though he will have to compete to keep his job.

“This game is quarterback driven. Offenses are quarterback driven,” Tomlin said. “So their expertise in that area is a significant component of the search, from my perspective.”