NFL coach fired over ‘violation of club policy’ just three months after joining AFC franchise

Senior special teams coach Derius Swinton II has left the Pittsburgh Steelers just three months after joining.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the story, citing a “violation of club policy,’ and Brooke Pryor later added that the dismissal was due to “workplace misconduct.”

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Swinton has been in the league for almost 20 years having begun his career as a special teams quality control coach for the St. Louis Rams in 2009.

He was previously the special teams coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Chargers.

New Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy added the veteran, who worked for the Las Vegas Raiders from 2023 to 2025, to his staff in February.

Pittsburgh also have special teams coordinator Danny Crossman in the building and may decide not to fill the vacancy.

The last time the Steelers employed two special teams coaches was 2011.

Steelers all-in on Aaron Rodgers

Mike Tomlin led the Black and Gold to yet another postseason in 2025, but paid the price for a dismal defeat to the Houston Texans and moved into broadcasting.

McCarthy was brought in to try and persuade Aaron Rodgers to return and drag one more year of winning quarterback play out of the future Hall of Famer.

Part one is accomplished as Rodgers agreed a $22 million deal, which could rise to as much as $25 million based on performance incentives.

He will retire after what will be his 22nd second season, but was thrilled to work with the coach he won his only Super Bowl ring with as a Green Bay Packer in 2011.

“I thought that was probably it for me in Pittsburgh,” he said, via ESPN’s Pryor, of Tomlin’s departure.

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“But when the decision was made to hire Mike [McCarthy], I started opening my mind back up to coming back.”

McCarthy has since spent time with the Dallas Cowboys and Rodgers is trying to get to grips with a different offense.

“He’s changed some stuff when he was in Dallas with Dak [Prescott],” he said. “I’ll battle on a couple things that I’ll be stubborn about, terminology-wise.

“I think part of the process is just growing. Me having to adjust some of the stuff that I’ve done or terminology I like. So it’s a fun learning experience right now.

“There’s a couple times a today he’s calling plays in the huddle, and I’m asking, what does this mean?

“It’s stuff that we used to run, but he’s just called it something different now. So, it’s a good part of the learning process.”

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Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio raised an interesting theory as to why Rodgers took so long to make up his mind.

“I got another theory. I think this was extremely relevant last year, and it possibly trickled over into this year,” he said.

“Let’s go back to the 2024 season, the schedule release. Remember what they said? Mike North, the VP of broadcast planning, said when the Jets — who were woeful in 2023 because Aaron Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles tendon on the fourth snap from scrimmage on that Monday night game against the Bills — He said the Jets ‘kind of owe us one.’

“The Jets had six primetime games in the first eight weeks. The Jets had two Sunday to Thursday turnarounds in the first eight weeks.

“Aaron Rodgers, news flash, holds a grudge. And Aaron Rodgers had to be upset. I mean, that schedule didn’t help the Jets have their best possible year. So last year, I’m sure we said multiple times, he’s going to wait until after the schedule comes out to tell anyone what he’s going to do.

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“(This year) he’s agreed to terms two days after the schedule came out. Sometimes the simplest explanation is right there. He was always going to do it. He didn’t have any other options.

“There’s no reason to let it be known at a time when the NFL can say, ‘Well, the Steelers kind of owe us one because last year we didn’t know he was going to be playing and we missed opportunities to take Steelers games here, there, and everywhere and get bigger audiences and therefore set ourselves up to make more money… So we’re going to milk this Aaron Rodgers thing for all it’s worth.’

“Why not wait until the schedule comes out? Now, they’ve still got plenty of primetime games. And I think (the NFL) made a bet that he that he was coming back this year.

“Because there’s no way, all due respect, Drew Allar, Will Howard, and Mason Rudolph are getting four primetime games, a Black Friday game and an international game.

“They’re not getting that unless the NFL is making the bet that Rodgers was coming back. But either way, why tell them before? Maybe they would have had more.”

A lot will have to fall into place for Rodgers and McCarthy to roll back the years and losing a senior coach in OTAs wasn’t part of the plan.

The organization has a rep for running a tight ship and you can be sure the four-time MVP will be given all the help he needs.

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