The Steelers are making some major changes. Here’s why Randy Fichtner’s departure could spell the end for Ben Roethlisberger.
After finishing the season with a record of 1-5 (counting the embarrassing playoff loss to the Browns), we weren’t surprised to see the Steelers start to make changes in the offseason. However, I’m not sure anyone expected this many changes this early. Less than a week after being eliminated from the playoffs, Pittsburgh’s brass already let go of three coaches – one of which was offensive coordinator, Randy Fichtner.
This is a move that fans have been pushing for on social media for some time now, as the ‘fire Fichtner’ train has been in full force since early in the season. The Steelers have decided not to renew the contract of their offensive coordinator after a disappointing end to the season that saw Pittsburgh score just 19.6 points per game over their last 6 regular-season contests.
Fichtner clearly wasn’t getting the job done, but what does his departure mean for Ben Roethlisberger? Will this be enough to cause the aging quarterback to retire? Here are three reasons why Randy Fichtner’s departure could spell the end of the Ben Roethlisberger era:
Ben had a hand in hiring Randy Fichtner
It was no surprise that Ben Roethlisberger and former offensive coordinator Todd Haley didn’t exactly see eye to eye. Despite accounting for some of the most productive offenses in Steelers history during his tenure as OC from 2012-2017, Pittsburgh decided to let him go after a 13-3 season in which his team made it to the Divisional Round of the playoffs. However, because of the tension between Roethlisberger and his offensive coordinator, the Steelers let him go.
Ben Roethlisberger supposedly had a hand in hiring Randy Fichtner as the next offensive coordinator, and they had a much better relationship. The Steelers decision to let Fichtner walk away could be added motivation for Roethlisberger not to return.
Roethlisberger will have to learn a new offense… at age 39
Ben Roethlisberger isn’t exactly a spring chicken anymore. This is the same quarterback who has contemplated retirement in the past, and now has more reason to walk away from the game than ever. With Randy Fichtner leaving, a soon-to-be 39-year-old Ben Roethlisberger will have to develop a relationship with a new offensive coordinator in addition to learning an entirely new offense.
Roethlisberger has expressed his dislike from presnap motion and play-action passes in the past. If the new offensive coordinator wants to incorporate this more into the offense, is that going to cause problems with the veteran quarterback? Is Ben going to be able to take criticism and be willing to adjust his game this late in his career? As the saying goes, ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.’
Despite Fichtner’s failures in 2020, I really didn’t think the Steelers would get rid of him until Roethlisberger wanted to be done, as I know this is not a transition that Ben is going to want to go through again. Perhaps there’s something Roethlisberger isn’t telling us, or maybe he has decided to get on board with a coordinator change. Either way, this move makes us question Ben’s pending return in 2021.
Steelers could be at the beginning of a rebuild
The Steelers really tried to give it one last hurrah in 2020, but they fell completely flat down the stretch. Now with all of the early coaching changes this offseason, it certainly feels like Pittsburgh could be at the beginning stages of a rebuild. This may be something Pittsburgh’s brass has already discussed with Roethlisberger. Obviously, Ben isn’t going to be part of their plans much longer.
Perhaps this was strategic by the Steelers as a way of trying to get Ben Roethlisberger to walk away from the game without having to give him an ultimatum. Even with a talented roster and a very good defense in 2020, Big Ben still couldn’t do enough to carry his team down the stretch. In fact, it was quite the opposite, as the Steelers aging quarterback proved to be detrimental to his team’s Super Bowl chances.
Even if Pittsburgh wants him to say, there is a chance that he will decline a return in 2021 due to the loss of Fichtner and all of the changes that are sure to take place this offseason.
Approaching 40 years old, I don’t blame Ben if he didn’t want to return this year, as learning a new offense with a new coordinator isn’t something that many players would want to do. If his poor play down the stretch wasn’t enough to make him consider retirement, perhaps losing the offensive coordinator he helped hire could prove to spell the end of the Ben Roethlisberger era.