The relationship between Ben Roethlisberger and Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley has never been one we’d describe as heavenly.
Most recently, Roethlisberger threw the coaching staff under the bus when discussing the team’s failure at the end of the game against the New England Patriots. The two of them have been at odds to varying degrees throughout their time together leading the team’s offense, and apparently things are on a downward trend once again.
Per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, Roethlisberger recently asked Mike Tomlin for a “buffer” between himself and Haley during games.
“Sources said Roethlisberger approached head coach Mike Tomlin about a month ago and requested to have a buffer between him and Haley on the sidelines, another set of eyes and a sounding board he could turn to. Specifically, he asked that quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner, who he is close with, no longer stay in the coaching booth in the press box during games but instead join other offensive coaches down to the sidelines. Tomlin quickly obliged, and the Steelers have been operating in that fashion since last month, sources said.”
It’s hard to say this has been a negative development. The Steelers have featured one of the league’s hottest offenses the past few weeks, and Roethlisberger has been playing quite well. In the past five games, he’s passed for 1,727 yards while throwing 14 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Haley does tend to rub Big Ben the wrong way and also recently was seen screaming at him during a game while on the sideline. With that in mind, maybe a buffer is exactly what the doctor ordered.