Steelers part ways with offensive coordinator Fichtner, two assistants
PITTSBURGH » The Pittsburgh Steelers’ playoff flameout cost offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner and two assistants their jobs.
The team announced Thursday it would not renew the contracts of Fichtner, offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett, and secondary coach Tom Bradley following a 48-37 loss to Cleveland on Sunday night. The club also said tight ends coach James Daniels is retiring after 17 seasons in that position.
Head coach Mike Tomlin hinted at major changes on Wednesday after Pittsburgh dropped five of its final six games following an 11-0 start and didn’t waste time getting started.
“I think when you are dead last in anything, it is (personnel and scheme),” Tomlin said. “We better assess it as such. We will not accept our current position in that area. We cannot. We have to attack that and we will.”
The decision ends a long professional relationship between Tomlin and Fichtner. The two met as assistants at Arkansas State in the late 1990s.
Goff to start for Rams
THOUSAND OAKS, CALIF. » Jared Goff and Sean McVay say they had a healthy, productive disagreement last week about Goff’s readiness to return from thumb surgery.
They’re in complete accord this week, however: Goff is the best choice to lead the Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs.
Goff will start the Rams’ postseason game at Green Bay on Saturday, while John Wolford will be inactive one week after incurring a neck injury, McVay announced.
“I’m in a good place with it,” Goff said
Thursday. “There’s a slight soreness, but nothing that’s hindering it in any way. Overall, it’s progressing the right way.”
Lions to hire Rams’ Holmes as GM
The Detroit Lions desperately need to figure out how to draft better players and they’re leaning on Brad Holmes to lead the way, drawing on his expertise with the Rams.
Holmes and the Lions agreed to terms on a deal that makes him their general manager. He led the Rams’ college scouting department for eight years and started his 18-year career with them as a public relations intern in 2003.
Stefanski back with Browns
CLEVELAND » Browns coach Kevin Stefanski doesn’t plan a trip downstairs to his basement any time soon. “Those walls were closing in on me,” he said.
Stefanski returned to the team’s facility 10 days after the first-year coach tested positive for COVID-19 and he was forced to miss Cleveland’s playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
Stefanski will make his playoff debut on the sideline this week when the Browns play the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Panthers offer GM to Fitterer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. » The Carolina Panthers announced they offered their general manager position to Seattle Seahawks vice president of football operations Scott Fitterer.
It is unclear whether or not Fitterer plans to accept the position as negotiations were ongoing. Fitterer has been with the Seahawks since 2001, where he effectively operated as a co-assistant GM under John Schneider.