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Could Steelers offer offensive coordinator job to former QB?
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Could Steelers offer offensive coordinator job to former QB?

The Pittsburgh Steelers rank 23rd in total offense and 28th in scoring, and offensive coordinator Matt Canada may lose his job because of it.

If the Steelers decide to stay in-house for a possible replacement instead of hiring an outside candidate, Steelers reporter Bob Quinn believes there’s one person he thinks would be a strong fit.

“Charlie Batch is a highly respected former player who was also the Steelers and Detroit Lions former players union representative,” Quinn said. “He is an excellent communicator and could be a phenomenal coach. (Ben) Roethlisberger on his podcast has stated several times that Batch has an eidetic memory for play-calling and was invaluable to him in preparation when they were teammates. 

"Batch was Roethlisberger’s backup for all three Super Bowl appearances and worked with Ken Whisenhunt and Bruce Arians during his tenure as a backup. …Batch could be the perfect solution if Tomlin insists on keeping the search in-house. He is not on the coaching staff, but his television work has kept him visible in the building and it is doubtful that Batch would be viewed as an outside voice.”

Canada has been the Steelers OC for the last two seasons. They ranked 21st in scoring offense and 22nd in total offense a season ago.

Batch, who won two Super Bowls with Pittsburgh, spent eight seasons of his 12-year NFL career with the Steelers, serving primarily as a backup to Roethlisberger and Tommy Maddox. Batch is the third-longest tenured QB in franchise history behind Roethlisberger and Terry Bradshaw.

He had a 6-3 record as the Steelers starting QB, passing for 2,069 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions with the team.

Michael Gallagher

Michael Gallagher is a longtime sports journalist based out of Nashville with a decade of experience covering college football, mixed martial arts and prep sports plus the NFL and NHL — specifically the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators. He’s covered several notable sporting events including an AFC Championship game, a Stanley Cup Final, an NHL All-Star Game and an NHL Stadium Series. Some of his past bylines can be found at the Nashville Scene, SB Nation, The Hockey News and Fox Sports Knoxville

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