Steelers' Great Hines Ward Now Becomes A Prime Candidate For Receiver Coach Opening

The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking for a new wide receivers coach after Frisman Jackson was let go by the team after his second season. Pittsburgh has a wealth of young weapons to work with in the receiver room. Diontae Johnson is entering the final year of his second contract. George Pickens collected his first season with over 1,000 yards in 2023. Calvin Austin III had a mixed impact in 2023, but showed some flashes and has a unique ability to get behind defenders. The group had its ups and downs throughout the season, and the organization will task Jackson's successor to establish more consistency. 

Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward's name has been floated as a potential candidate for a job on the Steelers' staff in the past, and after some more experience in the coaching world, now might be the time to bring him in. Ward was most recently the head coach of the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL, but chose to step away, rather than take a pay cut to return to coach for a second season.

Ward, who still sits atop the franchise's receiving lists for receptions, yards, and touchdowns, got his first taste of coaching during the Steelers' training camp in 2017 when he served as an offensive intern. Two years later, Ward auditioned for the New York Jets in a similar capacity at training camp before being brought on full-time as an offensive assistant. 

Ward also has some experience coaching at the collegiate level. After his time with the Jets, Ward joined Florida Atlantic's staff as a special assistant to the head coach in 2021 and was eventually promoted to be the team's wide receiver coach. He then left to become the head coach of the Brahmas. 

Ward is a coaching free agent and has been rumored to be in the mix for some college head coaching jobs. If he decides that he'd rather not have all the responsibility of being the man in charge of a college program, Pittsburgh offering the franchise icon a position coach job might be appealing. He still keeps an eye on things in the world of his old team and even offered advice to Pickens during the season when the young receiver was displaying frustration. Wouldn't it be better for him to do it from inside the facility as a member of the staff, than to do it through quotes in the media?

The Steelers' group at wide receiver is very young still. Allen Robinson II was the veteran of the group in 2023 at the age of 30. He's likely not going to return. He's owed just over $10 million and the team can cut him with a dead cap charge shy of $2 million. That means that Johnson, entering the 2024 offseason, would become the elder statesman of the group. This will be his sixth season in the NFL (age 28).  

Pickens was the team's leading receiver in 2023, with 1,140 yards. He particularly struggled with maturity issues during the season when he was not producing. Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin dealt with the talented young pass catcher in different ways, but could potentially use some more help molding him into the star player he can be. Ward, a fellow Georgia Bulldogs alumnus, could be a really good resource for Pickens to have in the building. 

Steelers Receivers Need Ward's Super Bowl Presence And Discipline

Pickens was hardly the only Steelers receiver ending up in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Johnson got in hot water when he didn't jump on a loose fumble during Pittsburgh's Week 12 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. While new Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith is expected to bring a new level of discipline to the unit, adding Ward would make a ton of sense. 

Ward famously didn't want to stay on the Steelers' staff unless he had full say on disciplinary measures, which, at the time, was an issue with Antonio Brown being on the team. It's that kind of attitude from a two-time Super Bowl winner in the city that this team needs right now.