Former Pro Bowl wide receiver floated as Steelers’ “sleeper option” for offensive coordinator
It looks like the answer to the question of whether Mike Tomlin will rejoin the Pittsburgh Steelers has been found. However, the position of offensive coordinator is still vacant with the Steelers.
One of the most significant decisions Tomlin makes as head coach this summer is who he appoints as offensive coordinator, especially because the team hasn’t developed a quarterback to replace Ben Roethlisberger.
On January 16, Nick Farabaugh of Steelers Now put forth a number of plausible possibilities on X, the former Twitter platform. Some of those names have already been mentioned in relation to Pittsburgh’s potential offensive coordinator prospects.
But as a “sleeper option,” Farabaugh also brought up former wide receiver Keenan McCardell.
“My ears perked up when Tomlin effusively praised him for his coaching of Stefon Diggs, but it could just be general praise,” commented Farabaugh.
In the 2002–03 season, McCardell and Tomlin played a part in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ first-ever Super Bowl victory. For two seasons, McCardell was a wide receiver for the Buccaneers while Tomlin was the cornerbacks coach.
McCardell caught 883 catches for 11,373 yards and 63 touchdowns in 15 NFL seasons. He was selected to the Pro Bowl by the Buccaneers in 2003 and the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1996.
McCardell has been the wide receivers coach for the Minnesota Vikings for the last three seasons.
As the offensive coordinator for the Steelers, how might Keenan McCardell fit in?
The Steelers have historically preferred to choose coordinators who have ties to the team or city. Although McCardell lacks that, his prior Tomlin playing experience may make him a contender.
During his career, McCardell was an underappreciated receiver. In addition to playing for 15 seasons and recording five seasons with 1,000 yards, he put up amazing career stats. He also had at least eighty receptions in each of those five campaigns.
His greatest seasons occurred from 1996 to 2003 while he was a member of the Florida Jaguars and Buccaneers. He averaged 80.5 catches and 1,029 yards a season during those eight seasons.
In 2010, he started his NFL coaching career as the Washington Redskins’ wide receivers coach. He coached wide receivers for Maryland for two years, from 2014 to 2015, before joining the Jaguars to make his NFL comeback.
From 2017 to 2020, McCardell oversaw the wide receivers for the Jaguars. In 2021, he signed with the Vikings.
McCardell has managed Jordan Addison’s and Justin Jefferson’s development while they’ve been with the Vikings. In Jacksonville, he also collaborated with young receivers Keelan Cole, Marqise Lee, and Allen Hurns.
McCardell was a part of Stefon Diggs’ development at Maryland.
Although a lot of NFL commentators are urging the Steelers to choose McCardell as their next offensive coordinator, McCardell has been a good receivers coach and might offer fresh perspective in Pittsburgh’s quarterback room.
What Was Mike Tomlin’s Remark Regarding McCardell?
Regarding McCardell’s candidacy for an offensive coordinator position, his experience is the main concern. He has never called plays at any level or functioned as an offensive coordinator.
However, as Farabaugh noted, Tomlin recently spoke highly of McCardell’s coaching abilities.
“I worked with Keenan McCardell years ago, so when I saw that he coached [Stefon Diggs] at the University of Maryland, it made sense,” Tomlin said to reporters on January 9. “Man, Keenan was a top-tier route runner, and he tackles his work with a very similar mindset. It seems as though there might be depth to that relationship. Have a great deal of respect for him.
Maybe that was just Tomlin being kind to a former colleague, as Farabaugh contended. However, it’s also conceivable that Tomlin would take that colleague under consideration for a Pittsburgh position.
