The Steelers are moving on from one in all Mike McCarthy‘s latest staff hires well before the season. Senior special teams coach Derius Swinton is out, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes.
An unspecified violation of team policy will result in this separation. The Steelers hired Swinton as a right-hand man for special teams coordinator Danny Crossman in February. Swinton, 41, has been an NFL assistant for the reason that 2009 season.
Crossman joined the Steelers as their Danny Smith substitute; Smith, who’s now with the Buccaneers, was a goal to retain under McCarthy. But Crossman became the team’s pick once Smith left for Florida, resulting in Swinton’s hire soon after. Now, Pittsburgh is with out a top lieutenant for its latest ST boss.
Swinton finished last season because the Raiders’ interim ST coordinator, taking on in that role after Pete Carroll fired Tom McMahon in November. A 2023 Josh McDaniels hire retained by Carroll, Swinton worked with latest Steelers DC Patrick Graham during his time in Las Vegas. Swinton, nonetheless, had not previously worked on a McCarthy staff or with Crossman.
The shortage of connections to the brand new Pittsburgh HC and ST coordinator made for an interesting fit, but Swinton has been coaching within the NFL since 2009. The Steelers were his ninth NFL employer. He had been a special teams coordinator twice — with the 49ers in 2016 and with the Chargers in 2021 — but mostly has resided on the assistant STC level. He has held that role for the Raiders, Cardinals, Bears and Broncos prior to his appointment in Pittsburgh.