Though Ben Roethlisberger has expressed zero desire to coach anything beyond the youth level, there are plenty of Pittsburgh Steelers fans who would love to see him replace OC Matt Canada. Not just next season but today. This literal moment.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show Tuesday, New York Jets’ QB Aaron Rodgers weighed in with his thoughts on if Roethlisberger could succeed in making the transition from Hall of Fame player to NFL coach. While Rodgers said most players of that status would struggle to make the transition, Roethlisberger has the football acumen to do it.
“Ben was like me,” Rodgers told McAfee and A.J. Hawk. “Probably some of the last quarterbacks in the league who could call their own plays…I always loved watching him in those situations. They’d be behind by a couple of scores or in the two-minute drive. And he’s calling it.”
Roethlisberger was known for his late-game heroics. None were bigger than his game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl to beat the Arizona Cardinals, an eight-play, 72-yard drive that ended with Santonio Holmes’ unforgettable championship-winning grab. In NFL history, Roethlisberger orchestrated 53 game-winning drives and 41 comebacks. Those numbers rank tied for third and third-most in NFL history, only trailing Tom Brady and Peyton Manning in both categories.
Even at the end of his career, Roethlisberger could still pull a rabbit out of his hat. In 2021, he led the NFL with seven game-winning drives and six comebacks as the Steelers finished the year 9-7 and made the playoffs before they were beaten in the Wild Card round by the Kansas City Chiefs.
An old-school quarterback who didn’t obsess about his mechanics the way modern quarterbacks do, he was a mold he could’ve played in any era. Partly because Roethlisberger, like Rodgers, played football before all the comforts of present-day technology. Before spread systems shortened language so much, and before quarterbacks had so much help and specialized coaching along the way. Those aren’t bad things but it’s a change from how the position was played 20 years ago.
“I think Ben could do it,” Rodgers said of Roethlisberger’s ability to coordinate. “Just because he understands the game. He could call it in his sleep at the line of scrimmage.”
While Rodgers thinks Roethlisberger could do it, don’t count on it ever happening. In November of last year, he said he couldn’t imagine a scenario in which he’s wearing a headset on Sundays.
“Correct. No way.”
He’s cited the time commitment necessary to be a coach, a job that requires more hours than it does a player. It can be a thankless job, especially in Pittsburgh, which has called for the firings of Todd Haley, Randy Fichtner, and now Matt Canada. Roethlisberger has enjoyed his retirement, spending more time with family, and running a successful podcast and YouTube channel that now has more than 70,000 subscribers and has brought on A-list Steelers guests like Mike Tomlin, Jerome Bettis, and James Harrison.
Roethlisberger may give his opinion on the Steelers’ playcalling. But don’t ever expect him to be the one calling the plays.
