Keith Butler has been given a one-year contract to return as the Steelers defensive coordinator.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) January 20, 2021
As suspected last week, the Pittsburgh Steelers are bringing defensive coordinator Keith Butler back. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac tweeted that Butler has been given a one-year contract.
Here are the defensive rankings since Butler took over the position from Dick LeBeau in 2015:
| Points | Yards | |
| 2020 | 3rd | 3rd |
| 2019 | 5th | 5th |
| 2018 | 16th | 6th |
| 2017 | 7th | 5th |
| 2016 | 10th | 12th |
| 2015 | 11th | 21st |
While Butler is defensive coordinator by title, there have been multiple reports that head coach Mike Tomlin calls the plays.
Do not blame Keith Butler for the Steelers' defensive collapses. Mike Tomlin called all the plays against the Browns. https://t.co/AAPK8RLfzE via @PittsburghPG
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) January 11, 2021
#Steelers have a lot of free agent players as well as coaches. The contracts of almost the entire defensive staff are up. (Don’t forget: This is Mike Tomlin’s defense. It’s of his design and he’s called it since the tail end of Dick LeBeau’s tenure.)
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) January 11, 2021
