The Pittsburgh Steelers have announced the departure of offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner as part of a coaching restructure in the aftermath of their playoff exit.
Pittsburgh started the regular season with 11 straight wins but laboured in the closing weeks, eventually finishing the regular season with a 12-4 record to top the AFC North.
Their Super Bowl hopes were then ended early by the Cleveland Browns. Despite having home advantage, the Steelers were unable to recover from an appalling first quarter that saw them give up 28 points, eventually losing 48-37 to their divisional rivals.
Head coach Mike Tomlin had promised to make changes when speaking to the media on Wednesday, leading to Fichtner, offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett and defensive backs coach Tom Bradley all being told their contracts would not be renewed.
"I want to thank all three of the coaches for their commitment and dedication to the Pittsburgh Steelers," Tomlin said in a statement.
"They have all played integral roles in our success and I am appreciative of their efforts. Personally, Randy and I have been in Pittsburgh since I hired him in 2007, but our relationship began well before that.
"He has been a friend of mine for years and wish his family nothing but the best, and I am eternally grateful for our relationship both on and off the field."
Fichtner had previously served in roles coaching Pittsburgh's wide receivers and quarterbacks before taking over as offensive coordinator in 2018.
Pittsburgh averaged 334.6 yards per game during the 2020 regular season, though their total of 1,351 rushing yards ranked their running game dead last in the NFL.
The changes may not be restricted to just the coaching staff, either. The future of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger - who has a year remaining on his contract - remains unclear, though he hinted after the postseason defeat to the Browns that he would like to come back next season.