Here are five offensive coordinators that would be dream fits for the Steelers in 2021
While the Steelers are thankfully planning for the playoffs right now, much of the rest of the league is scrambling to fill in their now-vacant coaching positions. The Steelers will be no different once their season ends, as they will look to add and let got coaches to their team.
With Randy Fichtner’s contract set to expire, the Steelers will be in a good position to strengthen their team by adding a new offensive coordinator and letting Fichtner go. Here are five potential offensive coordinators to fill his shoes if his contract isn’t renewed.
Mike Kafka
Adding a coach who has coached one of the brightest young quarterbacks in the history of the game seems like a no-brainer for the Steelers as Ben Roethlisberger’s career draws to a close. Unfortunately, Mike Kafka has a big asterisk next to his name as he is likely to be promoted to Chiefs offensive coordinator assuming their presiding offensive mind Eric Bieniemy takes a head coaching spot somewhere else. While coaching a young and talented group of receivers would be good for Kafka, it pales in comparison to coaching Patrick Mahomes.
If Bieniemy for some reason does not move on as a head coach though, Kafka would jump this list to the top spot. While a lot of his success stems from the natural talent that Mahomes has, his coaching has obviously helped elevate his game. The Chiefs have had one of the best offenses in the league because of it.
With the Steelers likely shifting to a new quarterback soon, getting a younger “quarterback guru” at offensive coordinator makes a lot of sense. Kafka makes a lot of sense in that role, assuming he isn’t promoted by the Chiefs.
Tony Elliott
Taking a young coach from the college ranks always has its inherent risks, as the games are very different in a lot of aspects. That said, college coaches typically have some of the more creative plays and schemes that can become successful at the NFL level. Thus, current Clemson running back’s coach and co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott would make a lot of sense to be elevated to the pro game.
Elliott started his Clemson coaching career as just their running backs coach in 2011 before adding co-offensive coordinator to his resume in 2014. He has maintained that role ever since, helping call plays on offense regularly and aiding in the creation of one of the best college offenses year in and year out. While the development of Trevor Lawrence is an obvious plus for him as a coordinator, he has had success in all phases as a coach.
Clemson has seen quite a few of their receivers become great pros under Elliott. As well, he has turned current starting running back Travis Etienne into a superstar. Considering the Steelers will likely have interest in Etienne during the draft, adding Elliott would ensure he is used properly by the team. He would be an exciting addition for sure, but the inherent risks of transitioning to the pro game are still there. Again, with the Steelers likely working with a new quarterback soon, they opt for a more quarterback minded offensive coordinator.
Matt Weiss
Of course, the Steelers could pull a Ravens and decide it doesn’t matter who throws the ball if we have a potent running game. That is a specialty of current Ravens running backs coach Matt Weiss, as he has aided in turning the Ravens rushing unit into one of the best ever seen in the league. Despite the NFL becoming more of a passing league every year, Weiss and the Ravens have shown that success can still be had with a potent rushing attack.
Obviously, it doesn’t hurt to have a dynamic rushing quarterback in Lamar Jackson at the helm, as it adds quite a few wrinkles to the playbook. That said, Weiss has found success with a platoon of different backs as the running backs coach. Mark Ingram had one of his best years as a pro last year and rookie J.K. Dobbins averaged six yards a carry during his rookie season. Most intriguing is what he has done with Gus Edwards. The former undrafted rookie has become a vital part of this offense, serving as the power back in a lightning-fast rushing unit.
Considering the Steelers’ affinity for power backs, this could be an intriguing move to make. The rushing unit over the past two years has been a train wreck, and if the team really wanted to try and rebuild the unit, Weiss would be a logical move. Similarly to Kafka, he may be promoted in-house if the Ravens lose their current offensive coordinator Greg Roman to another team. That said, he seems far less entrenched than Kafka and could be a great addition to get the Steelers running game back on track.
Ike Hilliard
While the three options above are legitimate contenders, these next two would be the odds-on favorite to land an open Steelers offensive coordinator. While many can probably guess who number one is, it would be silly to ignore Ike Hilliard as an option. The wide receiver’s coach has had a lot of success coaching recently. Since his second stint with the Football Team that started in 2014, Hilliard has gotten consistent production out of his receivers and developed some of the best young threats in the game.
This was apparent when he helped then third-round rookie Terry McLaurin become one of the best deep threats from the 2019 draft class. His success in Washington brought him to the Steelers, and he continued building on his success with receivers. While the group had obvious issues, a lot of their struggles came from an offensive game plan that schemed short throws on almost every play. Even with the schematic struggles, the Steelers receiver still found success.
JuJu Smith-Schuster developed as a physical threat while rookie Chase Claypool developed far quicker than anyone expected. Add in the impressive, albeit inconsistent, play of Diontae Johnson and the solid depth in James Washington and suddenly you have one of the better units in the NFL. Hilliard has made his mark as a coordinator, and his time as an offensive coordinator is coming. While he may be around next year as just the receiver’s coach if not promoted, don’t be surprised when he leaves for a better opportunity. He is an up and comer in the coaching ranks and will be a true offensive coordinator sooner than later.
Matt Canada
Matt Canada wasn’t brought in to be the quarterback’s coach for long last season. He was brought in to help develop the young depth behind Roethlisberger as well as add some new wrinkles to the offense. That was apparent when the offense started using a lot of motion at the line of scrimmage, as that was a constant in his college offenses.
Given the success that the unit had and the fact that after the offense struggled, it was concepts similar to his that brought this group back against the Colts. It seems likely that Canada is either the Steelers offensive coordinator next year or he is accepting a job elsewhere. The Steelers would be wise to promote him though, as his offense seems like one that could aid in a young quarterback’s development.
His smart schemes and quarterback friendly system would be a big boost for this offense, especially after Roethlisberger retires. Looking long term, he could even be a head coaching candidate down the road. The offensive-minded, quarterback friendly coordinators have found a home as NFL head coaches. With Mike Tomlin’s tenure as a head coach likely ending close to when Roethlisberger’s career does. Don’t be surprised if Canada is considered to replace him. That said, the first step is promoting him to offensive coordinator, something the team would be wise to do this offseason.
Unless the Steelers are truly set to roll with Fichtner on a new contract, the team should be looking for a new offensive coordinator this offseason. Luckily, there is a good pool of options, both in-house and on different teams, that could make a lot of sense for the Steelers to bring in. Keep these five names on a list of likely Fichtner replacements assuming the team makes the right decision to move on from him.