Pittsburgh Steelers’ owner Art Rooney II is leading a head-coaching search for his team for the first time since 2007, but it does not come without obstacles. Mike Tomlin recently stepped down from the head coach position in Pittsburgh following 19 seasons and the Steelers’ first-round exit in the 2025 NFL playoffs. Now, the team opened a rare vacancy, and on paper, the job still carries prestige as the Steelers boast a franchise with six Super Bowl wins. But according to the latest reports, Rooney does not make the HC job in Pittsburgh as attractive as it should be.

“It’s better than most, jobwise,” a long-time coaching source recently told ESPN about the Steelers’ opening. “They [Steelers] need to bump up salaries.”

ESPN’s Brook Pryor further reported that, according to multiple league sources, the Steelers’ assistant coaches often earn less than their peers around the league. Under Mike Tomlin, the Steelers also operated with a smaller coaching staff than most. Now, there are also growing signs that Art Rooney II may hesitate to open his checkbook to expand the budget for the new staff in Pittsburgh.

In the last two NFLPA report cards (anonymous surveys of players across the league0, the Steelers’ owner earned underwhelming grades in the ownership category. While the Rooney family’s long-standing stability has long stood as a strength, players and league observers have also increasingly questioned whether their franchise is truly willing to invest in modernization.

“Coaches will value the stability and ownership patience,” an NFL executive recently told ESPN, “but I think the organization has truly fallen behind in the NFL in terms of a modern operation.”

That’s a pretty damning assessment, and one that could linger in the minds of the Steelers’ potential HC candidates. The candidates might also consider that in the 2025 report card, the Steelers also ranked 28th in ownership and received a D grade. Art Rooney II had received an average score of 6.00 out of 10, which ranked 30th in the league, for his perceived willingness to invest in the facilities. In 2024, things looked even worse: the Steelers earned an F in the ownership category and ranked 31st in the league. 

According to the 2024 report, “Club owner Art Rooney II receives a rating of 5.8/10 from the Steelers players when considering his willingness to invest in the facilities.”

Even in 2023, when ownership wasn’t graded directly, the message from players regarding Art Rooney II sounded familiar. As the report put it, “The common theme that arose through player respondents’ feedback was a feeling that there is a lack of resources and investment into the facility.”

The Steelers are the only NFL team that shares its permanent facility with a college program, namely the Pittsburgh Panthers. Art Rooney II has also been slow to invest in his team’s analytics. The Steelers have employed just two full-time analytics staffers since the start of the 2025 season. While Mike Tomlin’s preferences played a role in that, any new HC who wants to expand that department will almost certainly need more resources. But will Rooney be willing to provide them?

As of January 21, the Steelers had conducted seven virtual interviews and have now moved on to in-person meetings as they narrow the search for a new HC. But the top candidates might not be truly excited about this opportunity while quietly weighing the baggage that comes with it in Pittsburgh.

What are the challenges a new HC will face in Art Rooney’s franchise?

Starting with the quarterback situation in Pittsburgh, the Steelers would be open to a reunion next season with their 42-year-old QB, Aaron Rodgers, even after his one-year deal expires. But Art Rooney II has already admitted that Mike Tomlin’s departure could influence Rodgers’ decision. After all, Rodgers came to Pittsburgh specifically to play for Tomlin. The Steelers currently have just two other QBs under contract for 2026: Mason Rudolph and Will Howard. That leaves the next HC in Pittsburgh to shop in free agency, gamble on what’s projected to be a weak 2026 draft class, or explore the trade market.

But the rest of the roster in Pittsburgh isn’t exactly problem-free either. According to Spotrac, Art Rooney II’s team is projected to have $46.5 million in cap space in 2026, which at least gives them some flexibility to address the aging roster. Recently, former Steelers defensive lineman Chris Hoke even urged the next HC in Pittsburgh to cut defensive back Jalen Ramsey, a move that would save $19.5 million against the cap in 2026. But that decision isn’t so simple, especially since the team just moved Ramsey to safety during the 2025 season.

Then there’s the pressure from the top. Art Rooney II’s reputation for patience might not be as ironclad as many believe, especially with a playoff win drought nearing a decade. In the press conference after Tomlin’s resignation, Rooney made it clear that he wants results – and fast.

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“I don’t know if it’s a rebuild,” Art  Rooney said in the presser. “I mean, it’s a new coach, so there will be changes, and we’ll have to all get comfortable with kind of the plans of whether you call it a rebuild or not – I don’t like that word that much – we’ll try to compete Day 1 if we can.”

That sounds ambitious, but it also sounds like a tightrope for the new HC to walk, even with limited resources from Pittsburgh’s ownership. Moreover, the Steelers’ fourth head coach since 1969 will have to overhaul the roster, fix the quarterback situation, and modernize the organization – all while delivering results right away. But in the end, managing these challenges might not be as difficult as navigating a locker room built around Tomlin’s vision. Turning that into something new won’t happen overnight in Pittsburgh.