Matt Canada, the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers, has been removed from his position just weeks after being moved from the booth to the sideline. While it may seem surprising, the team is currently winning and performing well. However, their offense continues to struggle and they have yet to find a consistent identity or rhythm.
On Sunday, it was apparent that the offense was still not functioning properly, with 10 total points being scored. The incident involving receiver Diontae Johnson being carried away by a member of the coaching staff and running back Najee Harris’ post-game comments further highlighted this issue.
Moving forward, it remains to be seen how the offense will operate with someone else taking charge as head coach Mike Tomlin has already gotten involved in a kerfuffle during a game. Running backs coach Eddie Faulkner has been reportedly named as someone who will be running the show while quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan will call plays moving forward.
While there have been successful examples of teams making changes mid-season like when Ravens fired offensive coordinator Cam Cameron in December 2012 and won Super Bowl with Jim Caldwell taking over, it’s important to note that Kenny Pickett is not Joe Flacco in his prime and he doesn’t bring much excitement as an offensive option. The new offensive brain trust might consider pivoting to Mitch Trubisky or other options in future but whether they would be allowed to do so remains unclear and their long-term plan for finding a solution is also uncertain.
