Steelers Could Be Mystery Team To Hire Former NFL Official John Parry As Advisor To Help Mike Tomlin

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the most consistent franchises in NFL history and when Head Coach Mike Tomlin took the job in 2007, he was committed to holding onto that reputation. He has done a phenomenal job overall as he has never had a losing season and made two Super Bowl trips, with one ending in victory, Fans have started to become restless with the team's leader, however. The organization hasn't had a playoff win since the 2016 season, which has truly ignited the fan base. Tomlin's questionable time management and challenging decisions have also not gone over well, especially in recent years.

Tomlin has been quoted in the past mentioning that there are certain people in the booth designated to helping him with certain decisions when it comes to officiating and potential challenges. Los Angeles Rams Head Coach Sean McVay hired John Streicher to help him in-game with time management and he serves overall as a game management coordinator.

The Steelers hopefully have decided to pull off a similar move, but when it comes to challenging and officiating specifically. Monday Night Football rules analyst for ESPN, John Parry, confirmed to Football Zebras that he is leaving the network for an advising role with an undisclosed franchise. The retired referee explained in detail to the website about why he can bring so much value to a team.

"Officials look at the game so differently than players, coaches, and fans,” Parry said. “So to have somebody up [in the booth]: 'Hey, this is the mechanic, this is why that person made that call. And no matter what happens to this replay, if they flip it, here’s where the ball will be spotted. Here’s the down in distance. The clock’s gonna start in the ready for play, or it’s a 10-second runoff, so you could take a timeout. So you better start thinking about that, will you take one? Will you not?'”

It's a fascinating concept to have a respected official of his caliber in a booth for an organization. He will almost act as a secret weapon lurking in the shadows. After spending time analyzing the game as an analyst for ESPN, he certainly has had some solid practice watching games in real time and communicating what will happen in certain situations to broadcasters and producers.

The Steelers aren't known for being willing to write blank checks in order to acquire talent. Parry had a comfortable studio job without any pressure and now is throwing himself into the fire in ultimate pressure situations. Bottom line is that he isn't going to come cheap for whatever team has lured him away from ESPN. Given the state of Tomlin's challenging woes and improper game management from time to time, a hire of Parry would be monumental for the franchise.

Parry noted that what he is preparing to do in 2024 will be a little bit strange for him. He is doing something different and, in the back half of his career, looking forward to a new challenge.

"This [new opportunity] is outside the comfort zone, which is a good thing. Just provides different ways to fuel the fire inside and so, we’ll see."

There has not been a team confirmed, as Parry is likely still working out details, but it's also possible that he was willing to speak to Football Zebras to see if any other team would come calling about his services. The Steelers have proven under General Manager Omar Khan that the organization, as a whole, seems to be operating a bit differently. An outside-the-box hire of Parry to assist Tomlin and the coaching staff in-game would be a terrific decision.

Steelers Will Need All Possible Help In 2024

Pittsburgh is set to have one of the most difficult schedules in the NFL in 2024. Every advantage possible is going to be needed if the franchise wants to contend for a Division Title. It might not be a traditional move for the organization, but whether Parry has already been hired in a handshake deal, or if he's open for business to the highest bidder, the Steelers need to have it on the radar.