With Mike Munchak making the rounds on the head coaching search circuit, the Steelers could have an opening on Mike Tomlin's staff soon.
There might be more coming, as well.
While the Steelers don't typically make quick decisions to move on from coaches -- Todd Haley's quick firing last year being an exception -- that doesn't mean changes won't be forthcoming.
Tomlin intimated as much Wednesday.
After a disappointing 9-6-1 season that left them out of the playoffs for the first time since 2013, the Steelers are looking for answers. And that could include staff changes.
"When you lack success, when you fail, change is a part of it," Tomlin said. "We talked about it, as a staff we talked about it, as players, and in an exit interview, our exit meetings, that’s just our business. You can look around our business and see and recognize it.
"So, yes, change is going to be a part moving forward. What those things will be, we are in the process of gathering information and plotting out a course. We are not going to be resistant to change in any facet. We’re not going to be resistant to accountability in any facet."
Replacing Munchak, if he does leave, would be a major part of that.
Munchak, a former head coach of the Titans, is highly regarded as an offensive line coach. He turned down an opportunity to interview for the Cardinals head coaching position last season because of family issues. But he has an interview with the Broncos Friday and that job, in particular, could interest him. Munchak has family that lives in that area.
The Steelers gave him a bump in pay last year to help keep him, paying him on a level commensurate to a coordinator and he worked closely with offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner on the team's running game.
But the changes could be even deeper than just finding a replacement for Munchak.
While the Steelers finished sixth in the league in total defense in 2018, they were tied for 16th in scoring defense. Part of the reason for that was because they forced just 15 turnovers, tied for 29th in the league.
The defense also gave up 123 points in the fourth quarter -- their most permitted in any quarter -- which ranked 27th in the league, giving up leads multiple times over the course of the season.
That could fall on the shoulders of defensive coordinator Keith Butler, though Tomlin has taken more control of the defense since Butler replaced Dick LeBeau for the 2015 season.
The defense wasn't without its strong points. In addition to ranking sixth in yards allowed, it led the league in sacks for the second consecutive season, tying Kansas City with 52. But finding ways to force turnovers off that pressure remains an issue.
The Chiefs, for example, had 27 takeaways, helping to offset a defense that ranked 31st in yards allowed.
Special teams also were an issue at times in 2018. One year after earning a trip to the Pro Bowl that netted him a five-year, $20-million contract extension in training camp, Chris Boswell made just 13-of-20 field goal attempts in 2018.
The Steelers also led the NFL with 27 penalties on special teams, finishing the season ranked 27th overall on special teams per Football Outsider's analytics. This was a huge regression from 2017, when they were ranked ninth in the league by the same metrics.
That could cause Tomlin to take a hard look at special teams coordinator Danny Smith.
Beyond those two, however, other changes might be more complex. After all, the team had four coaching changes coming out of the 2017 season.
In addition to Haley, receivers coach Richard Mann retired and was replaced by Darryl Drake, and quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner replaced Haley. On the defensive side of the ball, defensive line/assistant head coach John Mitchell was given new duties and replaced by Karl Dunbar and secondary coach Carnell Lake resigned, with Tom Bradley taking his place.
On offense, tight ends coach James Daniel, running backs coach James Saxon and offensive line assistant Shaun Sarrett remained in addition to Fichtner and Munchak. And all of those guys would seem to be safe, considering the performances of their units.
Linebackers coaches Joey Porter (outside) and Jerry Olsavsky (inside) were the only holdovers in addition to Butler on defense.
Porter failed to get production out of 2013 first-round pick Jarvis Jones, who is now gone, and 2015 first-round pick Bud Dupree has only developed into an average, at best, starter. But 2017 first-round selection T.J. Watt is blossoming into a force, recording 13 sacks in 2018.
Olsavsky, meanwhile, hasn't been given the same draft capital as Porter with which to work, so blaming him for the failures of Jon Bostic, Vince Williams and L.J. Fort at inside linebacker in the aftermath of the Ryan Shazier injury is difficult.
Where Tomlin goes with his staff remains to be seen. But it's doubtful it will be an overhaul as big as the one the team had last year.
"Change is a part of this," Tomlin reiterated when I specifically asked him if he would have any changes on his staff. "I don’t run away from that. Our staff doesn’t run away from that – the evaluation process, the reviewing process, the things that we’re going through as we wallow in it. I acknowledge that change is a part of where we’re headed and that I’m open to it, because I’m not open to repeatedly doing this."