Mystery as Pittsburgh Steelers coach abruptly fired just three months into the job

The Pittsburgh Steelers have parted ways with assistant special teams coach Derius Swinton just three months after hiring him.

The 41-year-old has been a coach in the NFL since 2009 but only joined the Steelers in February for what would have been his 16th season in the league.

The organization have not revealed why Swinton has been let go but according to ESPN, Swinton violated club policy. Swinton has been approached for comment.

Swinton joined new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy’s setup earlier this year, with McCarthy taking over the team and ushering in a new era after replacing the popular Mike Tomlin.

Before arriving in Pittsburgh, Swinton was assistant special teams coach for the Las Vegas Raiders for three seasons. 

Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy, second from left, talks with quarterback Aaron Rodgers

He was also the special teams coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers in 2016 and the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021.

A former safety at Hampton University from 2003 until 2006, Swinton became a graduate assistant at Tennessee in 2007 before breaking into the NFL in 2009 with the St. Louis Rams. 

The news was announced on the final day of the Steelers’ first run of OTAs, with the team beginning to ramp up its preparation for the upcoming 2026 season.

That campaign will also be the last of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who confirmed his last dance at a press conference earlier in May.

The Steelers still have special teams coordinator Danny Crossman in place. Like Swinton, Crossman was brought to Pittsburgh after McCarthy was named the team’s head coach earlier this year. 

Pittsburgh had an up-and-down year on special teams in 2025. Although the Steelers’ kickoff coverage unit ranked fifth in the NFL, the team struggled on punts, ranking 15 and 22 in net-punting average and opponent’s net-punting average, respectively.