5 reasons Steelers have already held onto Ben Roethlisberger too long
By Tommy Jaggi
Ben’s unwillingness to change with the times
Ben Roethlisberger was said to have had a hand in the hiring of Randy Fichtner when Todd Haley was fired. Everyone knew that Haley and Big Ben didn’t get along very well, and the star quarterback wanted an offensive coordinator that would cater to what he wanted to do on the field.
Recently, the Steelers hired an innovative offensive mind in Matt Canada to fill the void, but Ben’s unwillingness to change with the times could prove to be another reason why Pittsburgh has held on to their aging quarterback too long. Canada’s blueprint could be seen on the Steelers offense early in the season as they constantly used pre-snap motion to catch the defense off guard, but that was practically phased by the second half of the season, and Ben was vocal that he didn’t like the confusion before the snap or going under center.
By caving to Ben’s commands, Pittsburgh’s offense fell flat and became one of the most inefficient units in the league over the last six games of the regular season – averaging just 19.6 points per game over that span. Roethlisberger has shown that he is unwilling to change with the times, and he has handicapped the offense as a result.