The Pittsburgh Steelers are hiring a lot of coaches with previous ties to the organization and city this offseason. But in Domata Peko, the Steelers have found a former rival.
The Athletic’s Zac Jackson reported Monday the Steelers plan to hire former Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Domata Peko as defensive line coach.
Peko played the first 11 years of his career with the Bengals from 2006-16. He remained a rival of Pittsburgh’s after that too, as he played one season with the Baltimore Ravens in 2019.
During 2025, Peko coached under Deion Sanders, serving as defensive line coach at Colorado.
Peko had been defensive line coach at Colorado under Deion Sanders.
While a former rival of Pittsburgh and most recently coaching under Sanders, Peko has a tie to new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy. Peko served as a Dallas Cowboys defensive assistant in 2024 under the former Cowboys head coach.
That was Peko’s first coaching role after his NFL retirement following the 2020 campaign.
Steelers Set to Hire Domata Peko: Report
Peko doesn’t have a lot of coaching experience. He has one year as a position coach in college and another as a lower-level NFL assistant.
But Peko will bring 15 years of playing experience at the professional level. In addition to 11 seasons with the Bengals and one year with the Ravens, Peko played for the Denver Broncos from 2017-18 and the Arizona Cardinals in 2020.
Peko started 194 of the 214 NFL games in which he appeared. He posted 616 combined tackles, including 47 for loss and 20 sacks. Peko also had 14 pass defenses and two forced fumbles.
The defensive lineman was often a force against the Steelers. While his teams posted a 8-16 record versus Pittsburgh, Peko had 76 combined tackles, six for loss and three sacks.
The 24 games Peko played versus the Steelers were tied for the most in his career against a single opponent.
Peko never made the Pro Bowl or All-Pro teams. But his 15-year career was still rather stellar, especially one for a former fourth-round pick.
Peko is joining a Steelers defensive staff that is trying to build a bridge from Cameron Heyward to some of the team’s younger defensive linemen.
Heyward was Pittsburgh’s top defensive lineman again at 36 years old last season. But the rest of Pittsburgh’s major contributors along the defensive line are still on rookie contracts — Keeanu Benton, Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black.
Peko Replacing Ex-Steelers’ Karl Dunbar
Peko could bring a lot to the table as a long-time former NFL player. But with Peko’s addition, the Steelers are losing a lot of coaching experience at defensive line.
The former Bengals defensive lineman is replacing Karl Dunbar, who had coached the Steelers defensive line since 2018.
Dunbar has coached NFL defensive lines every season since Peko’s 2006 rookie season. Dunbar also has seven years of college defensive line and strength and conditioning coaching experience.
It will be interesting to see how a veteran such as Heyward reacts to position’s coaching change. While Heyward is the lone Steelers defensive lineman who has played for a different position coach in his career, Heyward grew comfortable with Dunbar over the past eight years.
It’s possible Heyward could elect to retire instead of returning for the 2026 campaign.
If the Steelers All-Pro defensive lineman is back, though, Peko will be his new defensive line coach.
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