Steelers HC Mike McCarthy now faces new competition in filling out staff after weird move in AFC North

Monken has been with John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens for the last three seasons, and after Harbaugh was fired by Baltimore and then hired by the New York Giants, many wondered if Monken would follow. It seemed like he would if he did not get a better job offer, but Cleveland just swooped in and hired him to put an end to their hilarious head-coaching search.

Cleveland has been completely embarrassed throughout the 2026 offseason. Several candidates voluntarily withdrew from their coaching search, and the front office was also blasted, as it was reported that the organization wanted candidates to do "homework" and complete multiple tests. Things were going in a bad direction for the franchise, so it felt like it just pressed the panic button and hired Monken.

This could indirectly make life hard on McCarthy and the Steelers, however. Monken was Harbaugh's top choice to be his offensive coordinator in New York, and now the Giants are out looking for a different offensive coordinator at the same time as the Steelers. The Giants are easily a more attractive spot for an offensive coordinator. A bigger market, a young and exciting quarterback, as well as several other high-end weapons.

Being the offensive coordinator for a young quarterback in the NFL and finding success is basically a free ticket towards becoming a head coach. That makes the job in New York enticing, along with the fact that the coordinator will be calling the plays. McCarthy will be calling the offense in Pittsburgh, which could be a deterrent for some candidates.

Steelers' offensive coordinator hire isn't as important as years past

In past years, fans would get very mad with an offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh, but this time around, that coordinator won't be nearly as involved with the game. McCarthy confirmed he would be calling plays during games at his introductory press conference on Tuesday, while the new coordinator would mostly be helping with game planning throughout the week. Hiring a good defensive coordinator is much more important for Pittsburgh, but fans will obsess over an offensive coordinator like always.

The pipe dream of hiring Nate Scheelhaase as offensive coordinator is also over. He was in the running for the Browns job, but he decided to stay put with the Los Angeles Rams for another season before pursuing other coaching opportunities.