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“He’s a Great OC”: Ben Roethlisberger Wants Steelers To Hire Byron Leftwich As Matt Canada Replacement

Anushree Gupta
Published

Super Bowl

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 4-3 into the season as they struggle offensively. This has raised quite a few questions on the Steelers offensive coach, Matt Canada. Consequently, ‘Fire Matt Canada’ cheers have hit the internet-wide enough to reach the ears of the Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger. In a sequence, Big Ben expressed interest in Byron Leftwich, if the Steelers chose to fire Matt Canada as the OC.

Big Ben in his weekly dose of Footbahlin via Channel Seven on YouTube opened up on who he wants as the next OC of the Steelers. He had his vote on the former Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich who is particularly known for being the Super Bowl-winning OC with Tom Brady in 2021.

Ben Roethlisberger Votes For Byron Leftwich As the Next OC Of the Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger during his podcast ‘Footbahlin’ made sure to mention that he wasn’t one to support the ‘fire Matt Canada’ cheers. However, he mentioned Byron Leftwich as the best possible replacement of Canada, if the team were to consider it at all.

“I think if the team was to move on from Matt I would love to see Byron Leftwich come in here and be the OC. He was here. He’s playing under Coach T. He understands what it is to be a Steeler. I think he is a great OC.”

Leftwich has coached Tom Brady’s offense during his time with the Bucs from 2019 to 2022. It was interesting to see Big Ben vouch for Leftwich who has served as his backup in two separate stints with the Steelers. For someone who has known Leftwich as a player, he certainly knew that the former Bucs OC could bring in some magic or a spark that fans feel lacking with Canada.

Matt Canada Crushed by Trolls for Struggling Offence

Pittsburgh Steelers’ struggles in the season have been evident with their mediocre 4-3 record. Steelers promoted Canada as their offensive coordinator in January 2021, replacing Randy Fichtner. Interestingly, the franchise has averaged a menial 22.4 points per game since then. They have moved from winning 86% of the games to 6% in the NFL amidst the drastic shift, per SFA.

It is evident that the Steelers offense isn’t flourishing under the current Canada regime. This has led the NFL fans to troll Matt Canada brutally across social media.

While Matt Canada’s offense seems to struggle, the news has that Leftwich reached out to the Steelers himself. According to The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly, the Steelers haven’t paid much attention to the matter as of now.

Byron Leftwich’s earlier association with the Steelers and their current offensive struggles seem to fit into a solution. That said, his questionable exit from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cannot be ignored.

About the author

Anushree Gupta

Anushree Gupta

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Anushree Gupta is a Content Writer at The Sports Rush. She has immersed herself in the world of the NFL for over a year. An architect by profession, her love for football led to the transition to sports journalism. Formerly a freelancer, she lent her writing talent to various sports including golf, basketball, and baseball. In 2023, she became a part of the Sportsrush NFL Content team, channeling her passion into covering NFL news. She has now authored over 250 articles and built a close connection with the sport. She is a Philly fan with one exception on her list, Tom Brady! Make sure to follow!

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