It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for a weekly Steelers links roundup at BTSC. But first, let’s take a look around the AFC North:
- Mike McDaniel update causes huge problems for Browns head coach search (Dawgs by Nature)
- Ravens expected to interview Broncos STC Darren Rizzi for HC job (Baltimore Beatdown)
- Bengals sign Tanner Hudson to contract extension (Cincy Jungle)
Now, onto some Steelers news and discussion:
Lightning Fast Ex-Steelers Running Back Finds New Pro Home
(From Steelers Now’s Aaron Becker): Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Anthony McFarland Jr. has found a new professional home, being drafted by the Birmingham Stallions in the 2026 UFL Draft.
A fourth-round pick in 2020, McFarland finished his NFL career with just 146 rushing yards. However, he’s still landing jobs in professional
football.
Former Steelers employee alleges discrimination and unequal pay in lawsuit
(From WTAE’s Yazmin Rodriguez): Chelsea Zahn, a former Steelers employee, has filed a lawsuit alleging she faced discrimination and unequal pay compared to her male coworkers during her tenure from 2013 to 2024.
According to the lawsuit, Zahn claims she experienced multiple instances of discrimination and a hostile work environment, being passed over for promotions due to her sex and age. Although she received one promotion, she alleges her salary and commission structure were lower than those of her male colleagues.
The lawsuit was filed Jan. 13. There isn’t a lot of information regarding it at the moment, but it’s something to monitor. The Steelers, as expected, haven’t commented on the case.
Mike McCarthy to Steelers? Why he’d be the right Tomlin replacement
(From USA Today’s Nate Davis): Did his system get a little stale by the end in Green Bay? Maybe. Did McCarthy do extensive self-scouting and dive into other offensive approaches following his midseason firing in Titletown in 2018? You bet he did. And the results spoke for themselves. The Cowboys scored the most points in the league in 2021 and 2023 and ranked fourth in 2022. The Steelers haven’t had a top-five scoring offense in a decade, ranking fourth in 2015 – which was the only time they’ve ranked that high … in the last 30 seasons.
There aren’t many supporters of bringing Mike McCarthy to Pittsburgh among Steelers fans, but USA Today’s Nate Davis provides an alternate opinion.
Ex-Steelers TE rips into GM Omar Khan, says players don’t respect him
(From Steelers Wire’s Andrew Vasquez): “Ever since Omar [Khan] took over, what have Omar’s draft picks done?” Ebron told Jaylen Samuel via the On My Soul podcast. “We was there with Omar. I’m not sure a lot of motherf—— walking around that building had respect for Omar. Just call a spade a spade. Call it what it is.”
Sure, it’s a podcast sound bite that’s hard to verify, but still an interesting perspective from Ebron. Khan’s roster-building strategy has been notably more aggressive than his predecessor Kevin Colbert.
Ben Roethlisberger Gives Bold Take on What Steelers Should Do at Quarterback
(From SI’s Madison Williams): “I would not draft a quarterback for at least two to three years. That’s just my opinion,” Roethlisberger said. “The issue that I see with a lot of teams is they get a quarterback and they try and build around that quarterback. I think it should be the other way around. I think you should build a team and put your quarterback in it.
“It happened to me. [The Steelers] had a great football team. They plugged me in. We had a veteran group. It just works. It works better than trying to grab a quarterback and be, O.K., we’re gonna build around this quarterback, because then it’s gonna take you four or five years to build around that quarterback. He’s probably gonna look like poo up to it and then you’re like, is he really our guy? Is he not our guy?”
Roethlisberger’s take doesn’t line up with most of the modern philosophy around team-building, where most would argue you should secure a franchise quarterback whenever possible. But regardless of if you agree or not with his overall point, he’s absolutely correct that it takes patience to evaluate a rookie quarterback, especially in a suboptimal offensive system.
Analysis: Why the Steelers and others are wise to poke around the Sean McVay coaching tree
(From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Brian Batko): For the Rams, at least, the logic is that they do their best to develop players, so why wouldn’t they do the same with coaches? One school of thought might be that assistants moving on to bigger jobs only hurts the franchise from a continuity standpoint, but it can’t hurt to be an attractive workplace for prospective coaches.
A worthwhile read from Batko breaking down why the McVay coaching tree has been frequently targeted in NFL coaching searches.
Should the Steelers prioritize hiring from the Sean McVay tree?
Of course, there’s no way of knowing how any of the Steelers’ head coaching candidates interviewed. But from the outside, the two candidates from Los Angeles, defensive coordinator Chris Shula and pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, look like the leading options.
As outlined by Batko, McVay has a strong record preparing his assistants for promotions. The Rams remain at the cutting edge of football schematics and once again look like one of the strongest teams in football in 2025.
The passing game, which Scheelhaase helps coordinate, has the 37-year-old Matthew Stafford playing like a candidate for his first-career MVP award. Meanwhile, Shula’s squad has helped the Rams make a Super Bowl run despite being one of the NFL’s lowest-paid defenses.
Plus, both coaches are under 40 and doubtlessly have connections in the Rams/McVay tree they could poach with a move to Pittsburgh. If the Steelers are looking to modernize — but also sign a new head coach with some previous success — the Rams appear to be the right place to look.
What are your thoughts on hiring a Rams assistant coach? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments.
