KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Adrian Klemm, already set to leave the Steelers, will make an even earlier exit.
Per a report Monday afternoon from Pete Thamel of Yahoo! Sports and later confirmed by the Steelers, the team has granted permission for Klemm, their first-year offensive line coach to leave immediately for the University of Oregon, where he'd agreed two weeks ago to take the same job. He wasn't supposed to depart until after the NFL season, but that changed after a conversation Monday with Mike Tomlin.
Chris Morgan, the Steelers' assistant offensive line coach, will handle all positional coaching duties for the rest of this season, the team said. Morgan is in his 13th season in the NFL. He had previously been offensive line coach with the Falcons and also has worked with the Seahawks, Washington and Raiders.
The offensive line has been the unending source of most of the team's problems in going 7-7-1, weighed down primarily by youth and inexperience: Center Kendrick Green and left tackle Dan Moore, Jr. are rookies. Left guard Kevin Dotson is in his first year as a starter. Right tackle Chuks Okorafor is in his second year as a starter. Only right guard Trai Turner, 28, is a veteran.
I wrote about Klemm and the offensive line in my column from the Steelers' 36-10 loss to the Chiefs here Sunday.
