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Brooke Pryor, ESPN Staff Writer
PITTSBURGH — The Steelers are working to finalize a new two-year contract for defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Wednesday.
Austin, who took over for former defensive coordinator Keith Butler in February 2022, has been with the organization for five seasons. Prior to his promotion, Austin served as a senior defensive assistant/secondary coach for three years. Austin, a Pitt product, also spent time as the defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals and Detroit Lions.
The Steelers had the seventh-ranked scoring defense in 2023, allowing opponents an average of just 18.4 points. That mark improved from the 2022 average of 19.9 points per game.
Each of Austin’s two seasons came with a significant number of challenges, including injuries to T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick. While Watt and Heyward each missed nearly half a season on injured reserve in 2022 and 2023, respectively, Fitzpatrick was sidelined for eight games in 2023 as he fought through two different injuries.
The Steelers also lost two of three inside linebackers signed in free agency in 2023 to season-ending injuries. In extending Austin, who’s been in the NFL for two decades, the Steelers solidified one major piece of the coaching staff as they work to land a new offensive coordinator.
The team announced it completed an interview with former Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown on Wednesday.