Moving on from DBs coach Grady Brown wasn\u2019t expected as the Pittsburgh Steelers made staff changes this offseason. But Brown\u2019s contract wasn\u2019t renewed, and he was replaced by Gerald Alexander. On the surface, the team\u2019s repeated communication breakdowns seemed to be the root of the reason. But the PPG\u2019s Ray Fittipaldo says it was for a different reason.<\/p>\n
\u201cJoey Porter [Jr.] has not developed the way they hoped he thought he would as a number 32 overall pick in that draft,\u201d Fittipaldo said during a Friday appearance on 93.7 The Fan with Joe Starkey.<\/a> \u201cThat\u2019s why Grady Brown is no longer here.\u201d<\/p>\n Porter has emerged as one of the Steelers\u2019 starting cornerbacks but has yet to be viewed as one of the league\u2019s emerging stars. He\u2019s still early in his career and has performed better than some cornerbacks drafted ahead of him, but others like the New England Patriots\u2019 Christian Gonzalez look like studs. Porter isn\u2019t quite there. Penalties and a lack of splash plays are the two biggest things to fix, something top-of-mind for Alexander in replacing Brown\u2019s role.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s Gerald\u2019s job,\u201d Fittipaldo said.<\/p>\n Alexander returns to Pittsburgh after spending the 2022-2023 seasons with the Steelers as a defensive assistant. He left in 2024 to become the Las Vegas Raiders\u2019 safety coach but was brought back in 2025 after the Raiders underwent regime change and Pittsburgh had an opening with Brown\u2019s departure. Brown was later hired as an assistant with the New Orleans Saints.<\/p>\n