Steelers hiring Domata Peko as new defensive line coach

Steelers hiring Domata Peko as new defensive line coach

According to NFL reporter Trey Carney, the Pittsburgh Steelers are hiring former Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Domata Peko to be their new defensive line coach. Peko would replace Karl Dunbar. New Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy has been hard at work putting his staff together since being hired by the Steelers replace Mike Tomlin and the theme is all about pulling in coaches he’s worked with before.

Steelers fans are very familiar with Peko. He had an incredibly successful 15-year NFL career that included 11 seasons with the Bengals and one with the Baltimore Ravens. Peko was a fourth-round pick of the Bengals out of Michigan State in the 2006 NFL draft.

Peko’s coaching experience is limited. Peko was a coaching assistant for the Dallas Cowboys in 2024 when McCarthy was the head coach in Dallas. Peko moved on when McCarthy left and, in 2025, was the defensive line coach at the University of Colorado. This is a huge promotion for Peko and puts a lot of pressure on him to perform with the talent on the Steelers roster.

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