As a former defensive lineman who climbed the coaching ranks to defensive coordinator, Anthony Weaver sees himself as a throwback in today’s NFL.
The 45-year-old openly embraced the sport’s violent side, even as the league tries to curtail the big hits. He revealed his self-described “old-school” ways as the Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator this season.
“I may sit up here, (and) I’m a nice guy. I smile. I do all those things, but all of our problems that we need to solve can be solved through violence,” Weaver said a few months back about his Dolphins defense.
As an old-school franchise with a fondness for defense, the Pittsburgh Steelers found Weaver intriguing enough to make him a head coaching candidate. He completed an in-person interview with the Steelers on Friday following a virtual meeting with the team last week.
Weaver was the third candidate to receive an in-person interview, joining Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and former Packers and Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy. The interviews are likely not done.
Los Angeles Rams coaches Chris Shula, the defensive coordinator, and Nate Scheelhaase, the pass game coordinator, can’t interview until after the NFC Championship game. Weaver, Shula and Scheelhaase were among the seven candidates the Steelers interviewed virtually last week.
Weaver has spent 14 seasons coaching at the NFL level, including the past two as the Dolphins defensive coordinator under coach Mike McDaniel, who was fired Jan. 8. It was after a Week 3 loss at Buffalo that Weaver stressed the need for a violent defense.
“Yeah, they want to legislate it out of the game, but we play defensive football,” he said. “Defensive football, at some point, you draw a line in the sand and you say, ‘I’m going to set the edge. I’m going to stick my helmet under this guy’s chin and I’m going to set the edge. I’m going to violently take the ball away.’ And that’s what we need to do. With a steely-eyed focus, with resolve, with resiliency, and we’re going to stop people.”
The Dolphins had the fourth-ranked defense overall in 2024 despite having no Pro Bowl picks on that side of the ball. They did so despite having both the sixth-fewest sacks and sixth-fewest takeaways in the league.
The defense slipped to 22nd this season.
Weaver had the most accomplished playing career among the known Steelers candidates. A 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive end for the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans, Weaver played 103 games over seven seasons from 2002-08. A second-round pick of the Ravens, he had 15 1/2 career sacks.
His resume includes stints coaching the defensive line for the Jets, Bills, Browns and Texans, who promoted him to defensive coordinator for one season in 2020. He later returned to Baltimore for three seasons to work with his former coach John Harbaugh, who named Weaver as associate head coach.
As a position coach, Weaver helped produce six Pro Bowl players: Mario Williams (2013), Kyle Williams (2013), Marcell Dareus (2013), Jadeveon Clowney (2016-18), J.J. Watt (2018) and Nnamdi Madubuike (2023).
The Ravens interviewed Weaver this month as a candidate to replace Harbaugh but instead hired Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. The Cardinals and Bills have reportedly shown interest in interviewing Weaver as well.
If the Steelers were to hire Weaver, they’d be choosing a former rival who played four seasons with the Ravens. But that wouldn’t be unprecedented because Bill Cowher and Chuck Noll played for the Browns before becoming a successful Steelers coach.
Along with McCarthy, Flores and Weaver, the Steelers talked last week with Shula and Scheelhaase, Minter, 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak, Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.
The Dolphins hired Hafley on Monday. Minter joined the Ravens on Thursday.
Note: The Steelers signed tight end J.J. Galbreath to a reserve/future contract Friday. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 NFL Draft, Galbreath spent time last season on the practice squad.