The narrative is Ben Roethlisberger and Todd Haley had been oil and water. Two clashing personalities that will have produced on the sector however not nicely sufficient off it. Haley paints a distinct image of their relationship. Showing on the Mangia Forged podcast, Haley says the media narrative isn’t the proper one.
“You guys simply introduced up notion,” Haley informed hosts Bob Papa and Chris Bisignano.” Notion shouldn’t be actuality. We performed golf collectively. We performed darts collectively. I feel teaching is the way you coach any individual. With Ben, I went about it a bit completely different means. His good buddy was on our workers. Our quarterbacks coach. I discovered fairly rapidly that if I talked to Randy Fichtner, who grew to become the coordinator after I used to be there, that Ben would listen.
“I by no means yelled at Ben. By no means stated a phrase to Ben. But when I known as Randy over after a nasty play, Ben would work his means across the follow discipline. And I’d see him say, ‘What did he say?’ I coached by means of [a] conduit.”
Fichtner and Roethlisberger had a powerful relationship. Fitchner joined the Steelers early in his profession, employed by Mike Tomlin in 2007 after spending time collectively at Arkansas State a decade earlier. Fichtner’s function modified over time. First, a large receivers coach. Then a quarterbacks coach earlier than being promoted to succeed Haley in 2018. He lasted by means of the 2021 season. Fichtner’s extra laid-back persona meshed nicely with Roethlisberger, giving him the liberty to play the sport how he noticed match.
Although Haley and Roethlisberger could have frolicked off the sector, his rationalization doesn’t add up. Making an attempt to say a wholesome relationship with the reason of “I by no means criticized him and needed to undergo one other coach as a substitute” solely reinforces the narrative of points between the 2.
If a quarterback and coordinator can’t actually have a dialog to appropriate points, that’s an issue. One which certainly wasn’t misplaced on Mike Tomlin, who moved on from Haley even after a 2017 season through which Pittsburgh completed third in scoring and noticed Roethlisberger throw practically 30 landing passes.
“He was phenomenal,” Haley stated of Roethlisberger’s play.
Be that as it might, the connection wasn’t tenable. In equity, elevating Fichtner to offensive coordinator may not have been the very best transfer both. Nobody was left to problem Roethlisberger within the remaining years of his profession. These two had been arguably too shut, which didn’t enable for progress that comes from analysis and correction.
Arthur Smith and Aaron Rodgers’ relationship appears just like the pleased medium. Robust however level-headed personalities who get alongside however are able to difficult each other. It’s taken the Steelers’ offense to a brand new stage. The one query is how lengthy the 2 will work collectively. Rodgers turns 42 subsequent month with an unsure profession previous 2025. Smith might be a sizzling head-coaching candidate this cycle.
If the 2 half, Pittsburgh will look to copy that relationship within the offseason. A job far simpler stated than carried out, as previous coordinators are proof of.
