Rams assistant connected to Steelers as potential Mike Tomlin replacement

Jarrett Bailey

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Rams assistant connected to Steelers as potential Mike Tomlin replacement image

The Los Angeles Rams have lost two straight games, which cost them toe chance to be the No. 1 seed in the NFC. However, the Rams remain one of the best teams in the NFL and are going to be picked by many to come out of the NFC and get to the Super Bowl. When their season comes to an end, though, Los Angeles may be in need of a new defensive coordinator.

Chris Shula is a hot commodity around the NFL, and is expected to get many interviews for a potential head coaching job. And while the likes of the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans have come up, a surprise team may enter the fray. According to Albert Breer or Sports Illustrated, the Pittsburgh Steelers could be where Shula lands if Pittsburgh were to move on from Mike Tomlin.

"The Steelers, Ravens and Bills have generated conversation in recent weeks," Breer writes. "Is there any reality to it? I don’t think these would be firings. But there is some thought that Mike Tomlin could look at a reset, with the Pittsburgh roster potentially going through one soon too, and take a year or two in TV before returning to the sideline. And interestingly enough, Shula’s name has been connected to the Steelers, in case there is an opening."

Shula's defense has been one of the best in the NFL in 2025, ranking ninth in the league in defensive EPA per play, eighth in points per game, and have allowed the fifth-fewest touchdowns per game. It would mark the second time in three years that the Rams have lost a defensive coordinator, as Raheem Morris took the Atlanta Falcons head coaching job in 2024. However, if Atlanta moves on from Morris, the Rams would almost certainly give him a call should Shula get a head coaching gig of his own.

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