It’s not Mike Sullivan, the temporary offensive play caller, who is joining the Las Vegas Raiders as an assistant coach after leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers. Gerald Alexander is being hired by the Raiders to be their safeties coach, according to a report by Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network.
Alexander served as the Steelers’ assistant defensive backs coach in 2022 and 2023.
Wolfe posted on X (previously Twitter) that “he also ran Dolphins DB room from 2020-21 where he became a favorite for many players.” He now intends to repeat the action in Vegas.
On the same day that Wolfe claimed Alexander would be joining the Raiders, NFL Network’s Garafolo revealed that Sullivan, the former quarterbacks coach for the Steelers for the previous three seasons, was being interviewed by Las Vegas.
During the last eight games of 2023, Sullivan took over as Pittsburgh’s offensive play caller in place of Matt Canada.
Gerald Alexander Steelers, assistant DB coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers, is hired by the Las Vegas Raiders According to Now’s Alan Saunders, Alexander became a member of the Steelers coaching staff prior to the 2022 campaign, thanks to the endorsement of Brian Flores, a fellow former assistant coach.
While serving as Miami Dolphins coaches, Flores and Alexander got to know one another. Between 2020 and 2021, Alexander coached the Dolphins’ defensive backs when Flores was the head coach.
Alexander played in the NFL for five seasons. In the second round of the 2007 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions selected him with the 61st overall pick.
He spent two seasons as a Lions player. As a rookie in 2007, Alexander started all 16 games; however, a knee injury kept him out of action for a significant chunk of 2008.
The next offseason, the Lions traded Alexander to the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2009, he started ten games for the Jaguars.
Over the next two years, Alexander played in games with the Jaguars, Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, and New York Jets before ending his playing career.
He currently seems to be one of the league’s emerging assistant coaches. Alexander had an interview this summer to be considered for the position of defensive coordinator with the New England Patriots, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
He’ll also train the East-West Shrine Bowl linebackers.
Interviewing, Mike Sullivan May Still Join the Steelers
The New Orleans Saints intend to interview Sullivan for their available offensive coordinator position, in addition to the Raiders, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
It’s hardly shocking that Sullivan is looking for other employment. Sullivan was not a contender for the position of offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh, as head coach Mike Tomlin of the Steelers made plain in his news conference following the season.
On January 23, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette revealed that Sullivan is probably not coming back to coach the quarterbacks either, “because of the potential awkwardness it could create with a new coordinator.”
On January 25, though, Dulac seemed to take a backseat with that news.
“Sullivan has a good rapport with Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph, so he could be kept on as the team’s quarterback coach,” Dulac wrote.
Not only is Mason Rudolph a free agent, but his return is also not assured. However, Sullivan may be able to retain his position as the Steelers offensive coordinator regardless of who replaces him thanks to his rapport with Kenny Pickett.
Sullivan’s potential return might be entirely contingent upon whether he is hired as offensive coordinator by another team.
Sportswriter Dave Holcomb
