JACK SAWYER STRIPS TEXANS QB C.J. STROUD OF THE FOOTBALL IN THE STEELERS’ PLAYOFF LOSS TO HOUSTON, 30-6, JAN. 12. (PHOTO BY MARLON MARTIN)
I refuse to waste much time, energy or space attempting to analyze the Steelers/Texans’ “played out” playoff game. The Texans spanked the Steelers by the score of 30-6. Although the Steelers defense provided the Arthur Smith and Aaron Rodgers offense with three turnovers, the inept and supposedly “experienced” Aaron Rodgers allowed the Texans defense to score a defensive TD, adding insult to injury. Okay sure, there were times during the 2025 season when Aaron Rodgers played well, against defenses that sucked. However, against the Texans, he couldn’t convert third downs, as he again hung the Steelers defense out to dry. During the 2025 season, Mr. Rodgers seemed to only be effective against defenses that were compromised by injuries, inexperience or both.
Let’s face it, when Aaron Rodgers was faced with competing against stiff competition, he tended to ball up into a fetal position, like a three-legged poker table in a dark Las Vegas alley. Instead of the yinzers singing a farewell hymn for Head Coach Mike Tomlin, they should be crooning two verses and a chorus of “bye, bye, Blackbird” for Aaron Rodgers as he sails off into retirement.
Coaching Carousel
Due to the recent head coaching vacancies occurring in the NFL, various replacement names are being thrown around as possibilities to fill those vacancies. Names of Black head coaches are mentioned sporadically just to extend the conversations, but there seems to be no consistent or serious consideration of hiring coaching candidates of color. The buck has not only been stopped dead in its tracks: the buck itself has become completely counterfeit.
Let’s get to crackin’. During the 106-year history of the National Football League, there has been and continues to be biased generational and historical head coaching decisions made by the ownership groups of the NFL. There were no Black head coaches hired in the first 69 years that the league existed, except for Fritz Pollard in 1921.
In the modern era, there was not a Black head coach of color hired until NFL HOF offensive lineman Art Shell was hired by the Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis in 1989.
The NFL is 106 years old. Many people won’t or don’t think of a head coaching “color line” in the NFL. But there is such a thing as a bottomless “moat” that surrounds and protects the “castle of tradition” where the “sanctuary of hiring” is carefully locked away in the ivory tower of generational and systemic bias. For the 106 years that the NFL has existed, people of color have been forced to accept as well as be grateful when a Black head coach or any coach of color is hired. Simultaneously, White head coaches have found solace knowing that they can go on hiring their friends, Romans, and countrymen, therefore allowing their legacies to continue and for their football lineage to remain intact, totally unobstructed.
On December 15, 2018, John Boyle posted the following on www.seahawks.com: “Fathers & Sons Coaching Together In NFL A ‘Really Special And Very Unique’ Opportunity.” Mr. Boyle writes:
“When Brian Schottenheimer joined the Seahawks coaching staff in the offseason as Seattle’s new offensive coordinator, one of his early conversations was with receivers coach Nate Carroll. The two didn’t discuss offensive philosophy however, nor did they go over the personnel on Seattle’s roster; instead they talked about something unique in the world of coaching at the NFL level—what it’s like to work for your dad. Brian Schottenheimer, whose father Marty was a longtime head coach, most recently in San Diego, worked on his dad’s coaching staff in Kansas City, Washington and San Diego. Nate Carroll and his brother Brennan, Seattle’s assistant offensive line coach, both work under their father, Pete Carroll.
“Our first conversation was about that, our second conversation was about that,” Nate Carroll said of his first interactions with Schottenheimer. “He gave me some words of wisdom no doubt. He’s been at it longer than I have. I’m very grateful for him to have that understanding, he has certainly helped me.”
None of the past or present Black NFL head coaches have been presented with many or any opportunities to personally groom and/or hire their offspring or a family member and place them under the professional tutelage of a colleague or relative that would help to prepare them to assume the head coaching position of some NFL franchise in the future. Rest assured, none of the sons of Black head coaches have had the opportunity to place their namesakes in a position to carry on their legacies.
When Black coaches are hired, their employment must be somehow based on “affirmative action.” When White coaches are hired, their employment is always based on “confirmative action.” “Confirmative actions” allow for the continuance to maintain the status quo.
“Affirmative actions” are sporadic and feeble attempts to establish cultural recognition and normalcy. It pains me to write the following. There are many sports fans, especially those of color who awaken daily, expecting to be greeted by the normal scene of a Black head coach prowling the sidelines, leading his team to the winner’s circle. I initially defined these fans as naïve. As years went by, my definition of them evolved to them just being plain stupid. However, defining them as stupid was shallow and negative on my part. The final definition of the psyches of these troubled and simple souls may be finally explained by a quote by Albert Einstein who supposedly said: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
In all probability, when the year 2100 rolls around, babies born in the year 2026 will be due to turn age 74. However, rules to create equal opportunities for Black head coaching candidates in professional football will have to continue to remain in place, in order to continue the effort of leveling the “playing field.” Even in the year 2100, if folks expect things to change, they better watch out that they aren’t involuntarily committed to a psych ward.