NFL Staff Updates: Steelers, Chiefs, Lions

About a month ago, Steelers special teams coordinator Danny Crossman lost his right-hand man as the team fired senior special teams coach Derius Swinton II. According to Jacob Punturi of Sports Illustrated, the team has worked quickly to replenish the staff behind Crossman, hiring Darian Thompson as their new special teams quality control coach.

A college cornerback turned NFL safety, Thompson played six years in the NFL. He spent his first two years as a third-round pick for the Giants, had a brief stint on the Cardinals’ practice squad after failing to make the 53-man roster in his third year, then spent next four years with the Cowboys. Shortly after his playing career came to an end, Thompson stayed in Dallas to coach, working as assistant linebackers/defensive quality control coach in 2023 and moving to secondary/nickels coach last year.

After not being retained with the new defensive staff in Dallas, Thompson has followed his old head coach Mike McCarthy to Pittsburgh, where he’ll now get to work with special teams.

Here are a couple other staff updates from around the NFL:

• Turning to the front office, Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com reported earlier this month that the Chiefs have promoted Jalen Myrick from college and pro scout to player personnel executive. Another former NFL defensive back, Myrick turned to the front office and scouting following the end of his playing career. He started as a scouting intern with the Chiefs in 2019, working his way up to player personnel assistant in 2020, and pro scout in 2021. He served as college and pro scout for four years before this offseason promotion.
• Lastly, the Lions have hired John Collins from the collegiate ranks to serve as a new scouting assistant for the team. Collins doesn’t have to travel too far from his previous role as assistant director of personnel at Michigan. He had joined the Wolverines in 2024 following a two-year stint with the Bulldogs down at Georgia.