Ben is back.
Some like it, some don't.
But it appears just a formality --- a few signatures on contracts and the such --- that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be back for an 18th season after that recent meeting with team president Art Rooney II and general manager Kevin Colbert.
The old cowboy is going to give it at least one more go --- and maybe more. Who knows at this point, he might play until 2031. Seems like he calls the shots.
There are a lot of tentacles that come out of all of this.
A whole lot of them.
But I do have one question that I feel is really pertinent both right now and moving forward into the 2021 season and beyond: What does this all mean for new offensive coordinator Matt Canada?
I mean, you know the entire song and dance by now, right? This is a guy who likes to have his quarterbacks get under center some and run some play action stuff.
Canada also will throw in a lot of RPO in the repertoire. He's a coach who doesn't necessarily employ a running quarterback, but he is one who most certainly calls a game that is most conducive to having a quarterback who can throw on the run.
And, point of order here: There is a definite difference between a running quarterback and a quarterback who can throw on the run.
Another point of order here: Ben Roethlisberger, at this point in his career, isn't really either of those.
More to the point, when you look at what Roethlisberger has transformed into during this tail-end of his career, he appears to fall in direct contrast to someone who would be perfect for Canada's system. Big Ben likes to make it a game where he stands in the shotgun, takes a three-step or a little hunch drop and unloads it quick to his weapons. For a variety of reasons, he's become a passer bent on getting rid of it and out to his playmakers in a flash.
Canada, on the other hand, generally employs an offense where his quarterback needs to be an adept ball handler as he can toss quick pop passes, shovel passes and hold linebackers with a great play-fake handoff to the running back ---- and many times doing it as he comes out of a five-step drop from under center.
Do you see Big Ben doing any of those thing? Man, I sure don't.
Logic tells me something has to give in all of this. Either Ben Roethlisberger needs to all of a sudden turn nimbler, move around in the pocket the way he did 10 years ago and throw on the run some (all unlikely) or Canada needs to take what got him here, throw it all away and adapt his bread and butter to a quarterback who really doesn't fit his style of coaching. The latter seems to be what most likely will happen in this situation.
This relationship might work. I mean, it could work. I guess, what I'm trying to say is that I hope it works.
But to be real frank about all of this, with Ben Roethlisberger sticking around it just doesn't feel as if Matt Canada will be able to push all those Matt Canada things into the playbook.
And after all, isn't that what Matt Canada was brought in here to do? Guess we'll probably just settle for Matt Canada Light.
