The world of coaching in the NFL is a cutthroat business that very few people are cut out for. However, New York Jets star Aaron Rodgers believes that one former NFL quarterback could thrive in the role if he were interested.
ESPN personality Pat McAfee previously stated that he felt like former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger would be a great offensive coordinator.
McAfee pitched that Roethlisberger could perhaps even be the OC for his former team, considering fans have been calling for Steelers’ current OC Matt Canada to be fired.
Rodgers appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, and he was asked whether he thought Roethlisberger would be a successful offensive coordinator or not. And Rodgers largely agreed with McAfee’s opinion on the matter.
“I think Ben could do it just because he understands the game and he could call it in his sleep at the line of scrimmage,” Rodgers said. “But it’s very rare that you see great players who come back and are able to be great coaches. I don’t know if it’s just the time commitment or dealing with people that don’t see the game the same way.”
As Rodgers stated, it is very rare that top-tier NFL players come back to coach in the NFL and have much success at coaching. And it may be a case where someone like Roethlisberger may just not have the patience that being an NFL coach requires.
Regardless, it is an interesting possibility considering how beloved Roethlisberger is by the Steelers fanbase. Especially since Roethlisberger recently started coaching youth football in Quaker Valley, Pennsylvania.