The Pittsburgh Steelers have finally done it. In case you missed it, the team fired Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The move comes after yet another pathetic offensive performance in Week 11. Canada's unit scored just 10 points against the Cleveland Browns, which dropped the team's record to 6-4. After the game, it became clear that the offensive players were losing trust in the process.
As a result, the team had to make a move. With the firing taking place in-season, it gives them plenty of time to find a permanent replacement for Canada. In the meantime, running backs coach Eddie Faulkner will take over as the interim offensive coordinator. Additionally, quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan will call plays due to his experience. Former Steelers players Willie Colon and Plaxico Burress have already thrown out who they want the team to hire in an appearance on The Carton Show on Fox Sports 1 on Tuesday.
"For me, it's my guy Byron Leftwich 100%. He's not going to be subjective to mediocrity or complacency. Byron Leftwich likes to throw the football. Byron Leftwich also knows what he needs to do in Pittsburgh, and that's to give this defense a chance to win games," Colon said.
This is the name that will probably be thrown out there the most, and it makes some sense. Leftwich has some experience in Pittsburgh, as he played backup quarterback for the franchise in two different stints. Colon was teammates with Leftwich in Pittsburgh for each of his two stints. Leftwich most recently was offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but was fired after the 2022 season.
Should Steelers Listen To Former Players About Leftwich?
At one point, Leftwich was seen as one of the brighter minds in all of football. The Steelers need to be cautious though, especially considering that a majority of Leftwich's success came with Tom Brady. Before the season, several fans and former players wanted Pittsburgh to bring Leftwich in as an offensive consultant. Burress and Colon aren't the only former players that have advocated for Leftwich. Ben Roethlisberger, Ramon Foster, and others have advocated for the former Bucs OC in the past.
"I believe it is B[yron]-Left[wich]. There's no reason why he shouldn't be an offensive coordinator in the league anyway," Burress said on The Carton Show.
The Steelers will now have a few months to evaluate both in-house guys in Faulkner and Sullivan. In his press conference on Tuesday, Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin acknowledged that he hadn't considered looking outside the organization for temporary help. That could change this offseason, although in the past, the Steelers typically tend to look in-house when making moves at one of the assistant coaching positions.
Until then, it will be an interesting discussion to have. Leftwich remains the name that's been brought up the most, but there may be some reservations from the front office. Fans should simply appreciate the fact that the team finally made the move in firing Canada. The offense ranks in the bottom of the league in nearly every major statistical category. The frustrations boiled over in Week 11 and if the team wants any shot at the playoffs, it was a move that had to be made. Now, we'll see how quarterback Kenny Pickett does, as he has no more excuses with Canada gone.
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