Jerome Bettis Weighs In On Who Should Succeed Mike Tomlin

Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis shares who he believes should replace head coach Mike Tomlin.

The Pittsburgh Steelers search for their next head coach is underway, and one of their former players has weighed in on who he believes should replace Mike Tomlin.

Former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis thinks the Steelers should do their homework on one of their former AFC North rivals.

“I think it would be a challenge, but I would like [Kevin] Stefanski in a sense that he understands this offensive world that we’re in,” Bettis said on FS1’s The Herd. “And he also obviously understands the defensive side because he’s had a strong defense the entire time in Cleveland. He would be a guy that I would look at.”

Stefanski, 43, had an up and down tenure with the Browns, finishing 45-56 in the regular season. However, he also had a lot of high moments like leading the Browns to the playoffs in 2020 and 2023 and their first playoff win since 1994 when Cleveland beat the Steelers in the 2020 AFC Wild Card Game.

Stefanski was also named NFL Head Coach of the Year in 2020 and 2023, but after six years, the Haslams decided to move on and Pittsburgh could become the benefactor.

Bettis understands that not all fans could be on board with the idea, though.

“Now, the fact that he just came from Cleveland may give a little pause, but in terms of an X’s and O’s coach, I think he is super talented and would be a good coach for the next organization that decides to give him an opportunity,” Bettis continued. “Especially if he can get a quarterback. That’s the concern in Pittsburgh. You’ve gotta get a quarterback.”

The Steelers have yet to officially show their interest in Stefanski, but there’s still plenty of time for that to change as their list continues to grow.

This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Jerome Bettis Weighs In On Who Should Succeed Mike Tomlin