Five dream candidates for Steelers next OC
The Steelers finally fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada on Tuesday. RB coach Eddie Faulkner will take over as the interim OC with QB coach Mike Sullivan handling play-calling duties. But come 2024, Pittsburgh will likely have a new full-time OC. Here are five dream candidates.
Ben Roethlisberger, retired
This is the obvious one. Roethlisberger led the Steelers to three Super Bowls, winning two from 2004-21. The former 11th overall pick in 2004 hasn’t been shy in voicing his opinions about Pittsburgh’s woes this season. It is unknown if he would consider coming out of retirement to coach, but if he would, the team should welcome him back with open arms. He may be exactly what QB Kenny Pickett needs after struggling through the first season and a half of his NFL career.
Byron Leftwich, free agent
The Steelers love having ties to former players and that’s exactly what Leftwich is. The former quarterback played for Pittsburgh in 2008 and from 2010-12. He has won two Super Bowls, one as a player and one as the offensive coordinator for the Buccaneers. Leftwich had already reached out to the Steelers earlier this season about joining their coaching staff, but they more or less “ignored” him, according to 93.7 The Fan’s Mark Kaboly.
Joe Brady, Bills interim OC
Brady is currently the interim offensive coordinator for the Bills, but they will likely do an in-depth search for their next full-time OC this offseason. That is when Pittsburgh could swoop in and steal him away. Brady’s resume is impressive, as he helped develop Bengals QB Joe Burrow during his time at LSU and QB Josh Allen over the past two years in Buffalo. Burrow and Allen are considered two of the league’s top quarterbacks. He could help put Pickett in the same conversation if given the chance.
Darrell Bevell, Dolphins QB coach & passing game coordinator
Bevell certainly has the experience to earn the Steelers next OC job. The Dolphins QB coach and passing game coordinator helped the Seahawks make two Super Bowl appearances and win one from 2011-17. He has also helped turn QB Tua Tagovailoa’s career around, which is exactly what Pickett needs. Pickett has similar traits to Tagovailoa, too. Neither quarterback has a huge arm but can still be very efficient with the weapons they have around them.
Eric Bieniemy, Commanders OC
Bieniemy was one of the fan favorites if Pittsburgh would have moved on from Canada last offseason. Bieniemy helped the Chiefs win two Super Bowls as their offensive coordinator from 2018-22 and really has a good enough resume to be a head coach in the NFL. The Commanders season is clearly not going as planned and if they decide to clean house this offseason, Bieniemy could be a part of the cuts after joining the team this year. If that is the case, the Steelers shouldn’t allow him to be on the market for very long.
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