PITTSBURGH – The locker room had barely cleared out after the Steelers’ 38–35 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars when the question that would ignite a media storm landed squarely at the podium.
“Coach LaFleur,” a reporter asked, voice steady but sharp, “do you still believe you’re capable of coaching a team at a high level, of leading a Super Bowl contender? And to be direct, are you still a Super Bowl-caliber coach?”
The room went silent. Cameras clicked. DK LaFleur, known for his composure even in tense moments, paused before leaning into the microphone.
“Of course I do,” he said firmly. “I know what I’m capable of, I know what this staff can do, and I believe in this locker room. My job is to put players in position to succeed. But I can’t execute for them, nobody can. What I can do is prepare them, teach them, and give them every opportunity to win, and there certainly is a lot of room for improvement for me there at the moment. I’ll never stop doing that.”
It was a confident answer, one backed by experience. After all, this wasn’t a man guessing at what it takes to reach the mountaintop. DK LaFleur has been there. Not long ago, he guided the Los Angeles Rams to a Super Bowl championship, defeating none other than Coach HypeMike’s Jacksonville Jaguars in a dramatic title showdown. It was a victory that cemented LaFleur’s reputation as one of the league’s brightest coaching minds.
But in the fast-moving world of the Premier Madden League, the past can fade quickly, and one question turned that truth into national debate.
The Noise Grows
Within hours, the clip went viral. ESPN, FS1, and countless podcasts seized on the exchange. The conversation wasn’t about Jacksonville’s Week 3 win anymore, it was about LaFleur’s credibility, his leadership, and whether the man who once hoisted the Lombardi still had that same spark in Pittsburgh.
Since taking over the Steelers, LaFleur holds a 9–8 record. Respectable, but not enough to silence critics in a city defined by banners and rings. The sting still lingers from last season’s collapse, losing the final three games when all it would have taken was one win to clinch a playoff berth. Now, with a 1–2 start, the noise has returned louder than ever.
The Talking Heads Weigh In
On Undisputed, Skip Bayless wasted no time stirring the pot. “I like DK LaFleur,” he said, “but you can’t live off past glory forever. Yeah, he won a Super Bowl with the Rams, props for that. But this is Pittsburgh, not L.A. He’s 9–8 here and missed the postseason. The league moves fast. You’ve got to prove it every year.”
Shannon Sharpe, ever the voice of balance, pushed back. “Hold on, Skip. We’re talking about a man who’s already proven he can win at the highest level. You don’t just forget how to coach. His résumé speaks for itself. You can’t put the entire load on him when players are missing assignments and turning the ball over. That ain’t on DK.”
Over on First Take, Stephen A. Smith brought his trademark fire and nuance. “DK LaFleur’s a champion, let’s not rewrite history,” he said. “He beat Coach HypeMike on the biggest stage. The man’s résumé is stamped. But here’s the thing, this is the Steelers. The expectations are different. You don’t get graded on potential or past rings. You get graded on the present. So yeah, he’s a Super Bowl-caliber coach, but right now, he’s got to show that his team is a Super Bowl-caliber product.”
Between Criticism and Confidence
Inside the Steelers’ facility, the chatter hasn’t shaken anyone. Players have rallied around their coach. Veteran linebacker T.J. Watt cut straight to the point. “People can talk all they want,” he said. “Coach LaFleur’s proven. He’s won it all. You think that just disappears? He prepares us, he holds us accountable, and he’s built for this. It’s on us to execute.”
Quarterback Desmond Ridder echoed that sentiment. “Coach puts me in position to succeed every game,” he said. “When I make a mistake, that’s on me. Not him. He’s been to the mountaintop, and we’re trying to get him back there.”
Even Patrick Queen stepped up in defense of his head coach. “You can feel it when a coach has that pedigree,” Queen said. “He’s not guessing. He’s done it. He knows what it takes. We’ve just got to play up to his standard.”
The Reality Behind the Record
LaFleur’s 9–8 tenure in Pittsburgh might look like mediocrity on the surface, but context paints a different picture. He inherited a roster in transition, reshaping both sides of the ball while integrating new leaders like Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jaylen Watson. The flashes of greatness are there, the comeback wins, the offensive schemes, and the defensive creativity that mirrors what made his Rams championship run so lethal.
Still, as LaFleur would be the first to admit, flashes aren’t enough. “You don’t hang banners for potential,” he said earlier this week. “You hang them for finishing the job.”
The Champion’s Response
Asked again on Monday if he felt his Super Bowl win still defined him, LaFleur offered perspective rather than nostalgia.
“That ring doesn’t coach games for me,” he said. “It reminds me of what it takes, the focus, the discipline, the togetherness. I’ve done it before, and I know what it looks like when a team’s ready to do it again. We’re building toward that.”
He added, “I can coach at a championship level, I’ve proven that. But at the end of the day, I know I have to be better in a lot of areas, and I will be to put this team in a better position to succeed.”
The Mixed Verdict
Across sports media, opinions remain split but generally respectful. Bayless and others continue to question whether “past success” should shield current struggles, while Sharpe and Smith insist that pedigree matters, that LaFleur’s championship DNA is precisely what gives Pittsburgh a chance to rebound.
Fans are equally divided. “#InDKWeTrust” trended on social media Monday morning, while a smaller chorus of skeptics called for results over reputation.
But through it all, LaFleur remains unbothered. The coach who once outdueled HypeMike on the biggest stage knows better than to let talk define him. His focus is on the next snap, the next adjustment, the next win.
For DK LaFleur, the next chapter is not about proving he was a Super Bowl-caliber coach. It’s about reminding everyone that he still is. There’s work to do in the Steel City.
– Forged In Steel Times
