Pittsburgh Steelers fire embattled offensive coordinator Matt Canada, as team’s offense slides to 28th in the NFL despite acceptable 6-4 start.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada despite the team’s respectable 6-4 start, head coach Mike Tomlin revealed on Tuesday.
Kenny Pickett, the Steelers’ struggling quarterback, completed only 15 of 28 passes for 106 yards in Sunday’s 13-10 loss to the Browns.
The Steelers presently rank 28th in offensive yards per game, trailing all but four NFL clubs.
Pittsburgh supporters have been demanding for Canada’s removal since last season, but Tomlin is generally hesitant to make such changes in the middle of a season.
Things appear to have changed, however, as additional ‘Fire Matt Canada’ placards began appearing at Acrisure.
While Tomlin supported Canada for weeks, resentment within the locker room may have reached a boiling point when the Steelers were restricted to 249 yards — including only 106 passing — against the Browns. Running back Najee Harris remarked in the aftermath that he was “tired of this (stuff),” while wide receiver Diontae Johnson just said “you saw the game” when asked what was wrong.
Perhaps most damning for Canada is how quarterback Kenny Pickett’s development has stalled. Pickett, who was drafted in the first round in 2022, had a solid rookie season last year and showed signs of being a difference-maker in preseason this summer.
Everything evaporated once the games began to count. Pickett has only six touchdown passes, two of which have come since the beginning of October, and his accuracy has suffered even after the Steelers recently relocated Canada from the coach’s box to the sideline in an effort to improve communication and flow.
While the players welcomed the choice during victories over Tennessee and Green Bay, the offense took a huge step back against the Cleveland Browns.
There was no immediate indication on who will take over play-calling duties, but quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan — who previously worked as offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay and with the New York Giants — is expected to be given the role on an interim basis.
The decision comes as the Steelers prepare to begin a manageable stretch in their schedule. None of their next five opponents—Cincinnati (twice), New England, Arizona, and Indianapolis—are currently above.500.
Pittsburgh is likely to need only a slight increase in productivity to return to the playoffs after missing out last year. The emergence of the run game last winter drove a 7-2 surge that helped Canada retain his job.
However, Tomlin’s expectations for Pickett — and, by extension, the rest of the offense — in 2023 have not been met consistently. The Steelers have been outgained in all ten games this season, including last week in Cleveland, where the Browns started rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Thompson-Robinson led Cleveland to a late game-winning drive after Pickett threw three incompletions on Pittsburgh’s penultimate possession, none of which were close to the target.
While Tomlin later stated that the club does not second-guess its decision-making during games, less than 48 hours later he made a move that was both expected and shocking, if only because of the timing.
Pittsburgh has historically been a model of stability, with few coaching changes during the season. But, with Pickett appearing to decline and his options growing increasingly limited, Tomlin concluded there was only one major move left.
