Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Gives Revealing Insight On What The New Head Coach In Pittsburgh Should Specialize In

The Pittsburgh Steelers are at a crossroads as a franchise for the first time in a very long time. After the Steelers lost in the Wild Card Round to the Houston Texans 30-6 where the team essentially fell apart late, the reset button was essentially hit on everything within the structure of the team. Long-time Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin decided to step down on Tuesday, something that sent shockwaves through the NFL. Now that Tomlin has decided to step away from the Steelers, the franchise will begin looking for a new head coach, and there are many qualified candidates available.

Out of all the candidates available, the Steelers might look to go a different route than the ones they've usually gone in the past. The Steelers have hired former defensive coordinators in each of the last three promotions, and this approach has been called into question as the Steelers go into their latest head coaching challenge.

On the latest episode of Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger, former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger went into detail on what he believed the next Steelers head coach should bring to the table. He took note of the Steelers' latest playoff loss to the Texans, and gave his opinion based on this performance, along with other recent performances where the team has sputtered on offense.

"Listen, let's be honest, six points isn't enough in a playoff game," Roethlisberger said. "You can't do that. Let's bring a head coach in that's offensive-minded and allow him to then bring in a defensive coordinator. The best offensive-minded head coaches that call plays, you know what they do on defense? They're sitting on the bench, talking to their quarterback, while their defense is on the field, because they're like, 'You got that. I trust my defensive coordinator to take care of this.'"

Roethlisberger's comments bring up a great point about just how weak the Steelers' offense has been, not just within the playoff loss to the Texans, but overall through the past few years. Hiring a head coach with past experience at the offensive coordinator position might be just the thing the Steelers need to refresh the offense and make them formidable again. The team has had serious issues on offense, and this could be a pivotal first step to bringing them back into contention.

Even with the success that the Steelers have had with hiring former defensive coordinators as head coaches, establishing the identity of the Steelers always having a dominant defense, this particular time would be the best time for the Steelers to reinvent their approach to hiring a head coach. The Steelers have always seemed to be behind the evolution of the NFL, and with how offense has been a centerpiece of the league for years now, it would be in the team's best interest to hire a head coach that specializes in offense to get the team's biggest weakness on track at last.

Roethlisberger's comment about how the best offensive-minded head coaches are able to sit on the bench with their quarterback while the defense is on the field is also another great point. If the Steelers did hire a head coach with former experience as an offensive coordinator, they could serve as a mentor, of sorts, to the future starting quarterback of the Steelers.

Steelers Would Benefit Greatly From Offensive-Minded Approach

With how the Steelers will likely be looking for a new quarterback for the 2026 NFL season, the idea of hiring a head coach that used to be an offensive coordinator would only further help establish a new identity on offense, especially with how the Steelers have many options with where they can get their next starting quarterback. With the team already having a strong defense, fixing the offense should be a priority, and hiring a head coach with a specialty in offense could begin to fix this issue.

What did you think about Roethlisberger's comments on who the Steelers should hire? Let us know in the comments below.

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