Pat McAfee calls for Ben Roethlisberger to replace Matt Canada as Steelers offensive coordinator

The Pittsburgh Steelers put on an anemic offensive display in the 30-7 Week 1 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers Sunday, finishing with just 239 total yards.

After an offseason of hype surrounding the offense, amplified by some prolific performances in the preseason, it’s an understatement to say that Sunday’s output was a letdown. Now into the third season under offensive coordinator Matt Canada, Pat McAfee has seen enough. Speaking on his show Friday, the former NFL punter suggested the Steelers take a look at a possible replacement for Canada.

His solution? Employ the services of Ben Roethlisberger, who led the Steelers to two Super Bowl titles in 18 seasons under center.

“Ben Roethlisberger — hey, Ben, we know you’re doing ‘The Footbahlin Podcast,'” McAfee said. “And we think it’s amazing. It’s a great show. Your basement looks awesome. The beers that you have down with the boys, what a moment. You had an incredible career, won multiple Super Bowls, do what you got to do, but why not go put the headset on for the rest of the year, make some content out of it and allow Matt Canada to watch how an NFL offense performs? I don’t think that’s too much to ask for. I think that’s very reasonable.”

Steelers, Matt Canada searching for answers on offense

It’s an interesting suggestion from McAfee, though Roethlisberger has never called a play from the sidelines in the NFL. Still, could he be an upgrade over Canada? In the last two seasons, Canada’s offense has ranked 23rd in the league. Just one week through the 2023 campaign, the Steelers sit 27th in total offense.

After a game in which the Steelers had four three-and-outs and a turnover in their first five possessions alone, Canada admitted he was “surprised,” but didn’t have the answers as to why the offense struggled.

“We didn’t expect that,” Canada said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I’m not running from it. We didn’t perform well, and it’s disappointing. But everything we’ve done in the spring and summer, I don’t have any doubt that it’s going to be better.

“How much better? I’m not going to make any big, bold predictions, but we didn’t play like we played or practiced. I don’t have the answers why, but we’re working on it and evaluating it. We were just surprised with the whole deal.”