The offense of the Pittsburgh Steelers could have a new look next year. The contract of Randy Fichtner, the team’s current coordinator, will expire at the end of the 2020 season.
The question becomes, will the Steelers offer an extension or send him packing?
Cleveland-born Fichtner has been in Pittsburgh nearly as long as Big Ben. In 2007, Fichtner hit the lottery when he came from the college ranks to coach a couple of NFL wide receivers named Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes. He retained the role for three seasons when, in 2010, he was promoted to quarterbacks coach.
As QBs coach, Fichtner formed a close relationship with Steelers franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. So, in 2018, when offensive coordinator Todd Haley’s time was up in Pittsburgh, it was natural to promote Fichtner.
The offense has had its share of ups and downs under Fichtner’s direction.
2018
- Points: 6th; yards: 4th
2019
- Points: 27th; yards: 30th
2020
- Points: 12th; yards 23rd
In his first season as OC, Fichtner had the luxury of one of the best wide receivers to play the game in Antonio Brown. In his second season, Fichtner had the misfortune of conducting an offense without its franchise QB.
This season, Fichtner’s playbook has become stagnant, predictable, and unimaginative — much like it was in 2019, only for different reasons. While his gameplan was initially innovative, it’s clear Fichtner was not prepared for when the short passing game hit a wall, and now he’s back to the drawing board.
It doesn’t help that the offensive line is one of the oldest in the league and can’t run block to save their lives. But this is nothing new. The Steelers have been in the bottom half of the league in rushing since 2018.
We’ll see if Fichtner can right the ship. But whether he does may not even change his offseason status. The Steelers are a team of tradition, and even though they’re struggling offensively right now, I don’t see Fichtner going anywhere as long as Ben Roethlisberger is around.
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