Pittsburgh Steelers Fire Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada
The Matt Canada experience as Steelers’ offensive coordinator came to a close on Tuesday morning when the team announced the firing of Canada. Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin released a statement on Tuesday morning regarding Canada’s firing stating, “Matt Canada has been relieved of his duties as offensive coordinator. I appreciate Matt’s hard work and dedication, and I wish him the best moving forward in his career.” According to CBS NFL Insider Josina Anderson, the Steelers plan to promote running backs coach Eddie Faulkner to offensive coordinator, with quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan calling the plays with Faulkner.
The dismissal of Canada from the Steelers comes after another lackluster performance by the offense on Sunday against the Browns in a 13-10 defeat, where the offense failed to muster any consistent rhythm throughout the game. Despite having a 6-4 record entering Week 12, the Steelers’ offense has been one of the league’s worst under Canada, currently ranking 28th in points per game, 28th in yards per game, 31st in passing yards per game, and having been outgained in every game. During Canada’s three seasons as offensive coordinator, the Steelers’ offense mightily struggled to achieve any resemblance of a high-powered offense that could go up against the top teams in the AFC. The Steelers never totaled 400 or more yards of offense during Canada’s tenure with the team. As well, the Steelers only scored 30-plus points twice in three seasons with Canada under the helm as offensive coordinator.
The Steelers’ 13-10 loss on Sunday to the Browns continued to amplify the calls from the fanbase to fire Canada as offensive coordinator. The decision by head coach Mike Tomlin and the front office to dismiss Canada comes after multiple players seemed to question Canada’s play-calling selection late in the game on Sunday. Notably, Steelers’ running back Najee Harris responded to a question regarding why the Steelers didn’t call a run on their final offensive drive by stating, “That’s a good question.” Then, asked if opponents knew the Steelers’ play calls prior to them happening, Harris responded, “Yeah, in some situations, to be honest with you.” With the firing of Canada, Tomlin and the Steelers will now look to find a new offensive identity for the remainder of the season in hopes of returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
