The NFL game is changing. And DC Teryl Austin says it changes not just schematics, but the personnel the Pittsburgh Steelers use, too. Allowing nearly 500 rushing yards over the past two games, 2024’s Wild Card loss and 2025’s regular season opener, there are calls for Pittsburgh to have an old-school nose tackle. Austin says that might not be the wisest thing.
“You could, but then it’s the same thing in terms of amount of snaps,” Austin told reporters Thursday via a team-provided transcript. “If you’re going to play 80-percent of your game in nickel because they’re in 11 personnel and then you have a guy that could be your starting nose tackle that’s going to play maybe 10 snaps a game, is that worth it?