When the Pittsburgh Steelers acquired Brian Flores during the 2022 offseason, it wasn't expected to be a long-term deal. Flores was coming off of a three-year stint as Head Coach of the Miami Dolphins. Despite putting together back-to-back winning seasons, he was let go as the season came to a close. Head Coach Mike Tomlin couldn't believe that so many teams were willing to pass up on a capable and qualified coach in Flores. The Steelers went on to hire him as the linebackers coach and the difference he made was immediate and astounding.
Naturally, several teams had interest after the season came to a close. Ultimately, Flores accepted the Defensive Coordinator role with the Minnesota Vikings. With his departure, the Steelers hired Aaron Curry as inside linebackers coach. Needless to say, Curry has big shoes to fill.
Curry didn't have the easiest run in the NFL as a player. The standout linebacker out of Wake Forest University was drafted fourth overall in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He was widely regarded as a bust following four relatively uneventful years. In 2011, the Seahawks traded Curry to the then-Oakland Raiders who ultimately cut him from the roster in November of 2012. He had an optimistic outlook, but after being cut by the New York Giants during 2013 training camp, his playing career came to a close.
In 2014, Curry accepted a strength and conditioning graduate assistant position with University of North Carolina at Charlotte, before being hired full-time as the defensive line coach for the next four seasons. During his time at Charlotte, he mentored Larry Ogunjobi and Alex Highsmith, both of whom he'll be reuniting with in Pittsburgh. His coaching experience ultimately led him back to the NFL in 2019 and once again with the Seahawks where his career originally started. In Seattle, he took on multiple defensive positions. His experience was enough to impress Coach Tomlin and be declared the right fit for the vacancy at inside linebackers coach.
Curry brings a unique perspective to Pittsburgh. Throughout the trials and tribulations of his career, he's learned exactly what it does and doesn't take to be successful in the NFL. Unfortunately, he learned the hard way. Following this year's minicamp, he spoke on his experience and how it helps him as a coach.
"I know exactly what it takes to perform at a high level, and I know exactly what the behaviors look like when people aren’t performing at the high level. When I see behaviors that don’t match up to what we’re trying to get done here, I’m able to nip it at the bud.”
This mentality goes hand-in-hand with one of Tomlin's most commonly used "Tomlinisms": the standard is the standard. This phrase is deeply instilled in the culture that's been built in Pittsburgh, and it's often referred to when speaking on Tomlin's 16 winning seasons as head coach.
What's The Outlook On The Steelers Linebacker Group In 2023?
Curry has his work cut out for him during his first season as inside linebackers coach. During the offseason, the inside linebacker group was under major construction. Robert Spillane, Myles Jack and Devin Bush all parted ways with the organization. This led to the acquisition of Elandon Roberts and Cole Holcomb. In April, PFF highlighted this by naming the Steelers inside linebacker group as the weakest in the NFL.
Holcomb, a former fifth round draft pick, is leaving a four-year tenure with the Washington Commanders. Holcomb had a standout 2021 season, finishing 10th in the NFL in tackles. In other years, however, he's been relatively quiet. This past season he suffered a season ending foot injury, and he has yet to be a full participant in Steelers' Organized Team Activities or minicamp. He has the utmost confidence, however, that he'll be ready for training camp. Roberts, on the other hand, is entering his eighth year in the NFL, after spending three seasons with the Dolphins and four with the New England Patriots. Roberts is coming off of a career year with the Dolphins, and the expectations are high for him in Pittsburgh.
Though this group has a lot of work ahead of them, a fresh start was needed at the position. Will Curry be able to turn this group around and prove PFF wrong?
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