Pat McAfee Trashes Steelers Coaching Staff Then Floats Popular Fan Theory As New 2023 Solution

The Pittsburgh Steelers last won the AFC North in 2020. Ben Roethlisberger had returned from a season-ending elbow injury in 2019 and Matt Canada was his quarterbacks coach. They helped the Steelers get out to an 11-0 start, however, they went 1-4 down the stretch and lost their fourth consecutive playoff game, this time to the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers are now in their longest playoff win drought in the Super Bowl era.

During an episode of The Pat McAfee Show this week (carried on YouTube and ESPN), the panel consisting of Tone Digs, Darius Butler, and Pat McAfee discussed the pain that Steelers fans are feeling. McAfee prefaced the criticism with the obligatory nod to what Mike Tomlin was, not what he is currently as a coach.

“We love Coach Tomlin,” McAfee stated. “Coach Tomlin is the reason I am in the NFL. Coach Tomlin led my Pro Day at West Virginia. I owe Mike Tomlin a lot. But, with everything that is taking place in this particular offense, with this particular Steelers team, it feels as if Yinzers are getting to a point, hey Tomlin, a lot of the stats people are pointing out the last six, seven, eight, nine years are all coming to a point. Is it getting to a time where Yinzers are done with Mike Tomlin as the Pittsburgh Steelers Coach?”

The Pittsburgh contingent of fans who are not enthralled by Tomlin’s recent record as a head coach is growing daily. What began as whispers after the Tim Tebow loss to the Denver Broncos in the playoffs a decade ago has grown into a roar after the embarrassing loss to the Houston Texans 30-6 in Week 4.

“Over the last what, five, six years, it has not been an entertaining brand of football, it’s not been successful football,” McAfee stated. “I don’t think there is any expectations to go win a Super Bowl, even from the people in Pittsburgh. If you look at Matt Canada, his track record of being an offensive coordinator, not just in the NFL, but in college, maybe even in high school, he has been trash.”

The attacks on Tomlin and Canada are almost required by commentators at this point. The Steelers have fallen to the lowest perception point this century. McAfee posited a possible and popular fan solution when discussing the offensive coordinator situation with AJ Hawk, the former Green Bay Packers linebacker, who had joined the discussion at this point.

McAfee suggested the remedy many fans of the black and gold have been hoping would come to fruition. The return of Roethlisberger to the Steelers organization. Fans don’t want him back as the quarterback, but they do want him to call plays as the new offensive coordinator.

“I told Adam Schefter to his face, is there any thought to Ben Roethlisberger, he’s going to call plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers,” McAfee said. “He knows the offense. He has a lot of opinions about the Pittsburgh Steelers and we are very lucky to hear them on the Footbahlin pod.”

McAfee is not the first to come up with this idea. Roethlisberger has repeatedly denied any interest in the job. He is currently helping to coach his son’s first foray into tackle football and has stated repeatedly that he is quite content in that role.

A Disgusted Ben Roethlisberger Is Openly Condemning Mike Tomlin's Gaffe

However, Roethlisberger, for the first time, was very direct with his criticism about the Steelers offense on Episode 37 of the Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger podcast. The former Steelers quarterback has an indirect style of questioning or criticizing situations that is unique. He abandoned that style after the horrid play call on fourth down against the Texans. Roethlisberger's pointed critique added fuel to the speculation fire.

“It’s very evident to me that he is paying attention,” McAfee observed. “He’s dialed in to the offense. He is still paying attention to what other teams are doing. Why not Ben Roethlisberger calling plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers?”

Hawk dismissed the idea on the premise that Tomlin would promote someone from inside the current coaching staff if any changes were made. McAfee turned to the resident Steelers fan on the panel Digs for his opinion on drafting Roethlisberger as the new offensive coordinator.

“He knows the plays, he knows the players,” Digz responded. “I mean if he doesn’t come back and save the city at this point, he’s kind of being selfish. What are you, enjoying your retirement Ben? You only gave us 20 years of winning football. I’d love it, if Ben thinks it's too much for his plate, him and Todd Haley want to come back and do it together, maybe combo this thing,” Digz said only half-jokingly.

The only thing less likely to happen than Roethlisberger reversing himself and rescuing the Steelers offense by becoming the play-caller is a reunion with Todd Haley. It is well chronicled, though both deny it publicly, that Haley and Roethlisberger were like oil and water. The response was an obvious nod to recent Steelers history, but an all too significant portion of the fan base probably thinks it’s a good enough idea to try at this point. 

The Steelers offense barring the unlikely event that Art Rooney II walks into the coach's office and fires everyone on the staff, is set for 2023. Kenny Pickett’s career is in real trouble because Tomlin and Rooney wanted to continue on a path that has been failing for at least TJ Watt’s entire career.

It is time for a player in the organization to speak out instead of the commentators. Players are extremely loyal to Tomlin, but Cam Heyward’s career has been wasted, and they are halfway through wasting Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick’s as well. Talent will get you further than loyalty in the NFL, and the 2023 version of the Steelers is wasting the talent on the roster. 

What do you think, Steeler Nation? Do you think the Steelers would actually turn to Roethlisberger? If so, would he accept? Please comment below or on my Twitter/X: @thebubbasq.

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