The rumors of the Steelers looking to upgrade at offensive coordinator are unsurprisingly untrue as today Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting the Steelers will keep Matt Canada for a third season.
The Steelers have no plans to replace offensive coordinator Matt Canada and he is expected to return to Mike Tomlin’s coaching staff in 2023
– Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett also alluded to this during his interview with teammate Cameron Heyward on his podcast Not Just Football.
We just need to take that jump into year two, we need more explosive plays and he’s doing a great job of trying to figure out what we need to do to get those and put up some more points, so I’m excited to continue to work with his this offseason.
– Kenny Pickett
This decision confirms the Steelers are happy with the “improvements” Matt Canada’s offense made during the second half of the 2022 season despite the schedule being arguably easier.
I suppose the team is afraid of hurting Kenny Pickett’s growth as an NFL quarterback, but if the Steelers opt to let Canada walk in 2024, this would make no sense. You would be changing the offense regardless and delaying it by a year.
I think a lot of this decision comes from Art Rooney II, who wanted the Steelers to focus more on running the ball at the end of the 2019 season.
I think you can still be a team that runs the ball and you know the old saying, ‘if you run the ball and play good defense, you’re going to be in most games’ and we saw that with a number of teams this past season.
– Art Rooney II owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers
Matt Canada’s offense is mainly focused on running the ball, and even with all their offensive struggles in 2022, running back Najee Harris ran for 1,000-plus yards.
With the moves the Steelers have made since 2020, it’s easy to put the pieces together to understand why the team is remaining in this direction. Rooney wanted the team to bring back its run-the-ball identity, and Canada seems to fit that direction.
Unless Art Rooney II decides the team needs to move away from the running game, I would not expect much change until possibly 2024.
What are your thoughts on the Steelers sticking with Matt Canada for the 2023 season? Comment below.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login