Pittsburgh Steelers Hire Krithi Chandrakasan for Football Research Role

The Pittsburgh Steelers have appointed Krithi Chandrakasan to a football research position, as reported by Seth Walder from ESPN on X.

According to Walder, “Chandrakasan was previously the Director of Football Analytics for the Bears, and he also worked with the Chiefs before that.”

While the majority of NFL teams have integrated some form of analytics into their operations, there remains a divide in how receptive each team is to these methods. Traditionally, the Steelers have leaned towards a more traditional approach, ranking among the least analytical front offices in 2024. In contrast, the Baltimore Ravens are recognized as leaders in analytics, which significantly impacts their on-field and off-field decisions. However, under the management of Omar Khan, the Steelers’ approach to analytics is gradually evolving.

Although Chandrakasan has not yet been added to the Steelers’ official website, he has already updated his LinkedIn profile to reflect the team as his employer. He will be joining existing analytics personnel, including Tosin Kazeem, Donovan Moore, and Jake Clancy, making four dedicated analytics staff in total.

After parting ways with the Bears following the 2024 season, Chandrakasan had participated in their draft war room during the NFL Draft. He had been with Chicago since January 2022, growing his expertise in the analytics field.

Before his time with the Bears, Chandrakasan was with the Kansas City Chiefs, starting as a data analyst in 2019 and rising to senior data scientist. Additionally, he spent a brief period as an analytics intern with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016.

Despite a strong academic background with degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Economics from Harvard, the Steelers have historically struggled to retain analytics staff. Former GM Kevin Colbert expressed concerns about over-reliance on analytics, but the hiring of Chandrakasan signals a potential shift towards modernization under Khan’s management. Expect the analytics team’s work to remain largely behind the scenes, marking a promising step for the Steelers as they adapt to the evolving landscape of football analytics.