The Pittsburgh Steelers decided to retain embattled offensive coordinator Matt Canada for the final year of his contract; and it didn't even take them long to come to that decision.
A few days following the team's final game against the Cleveland Browns, the decision to keep Canada was made public. Sunday night, Tomlin met with the media in Phoenix as he's in town for the NFL Competition Committee meetings. He was asked point blank why Canada was kept for 2023.
"I have nothing to add," Tomlin replied.
There's a lot to take away from that short five-word response. Many have speculated that Tomlin has a lot of sway when it comes to assistant coaches being hired and fired. However, this response by Tomlin makes it seem possible he was not on board with keeping Canada around. It could also mean that he just didn't want to talk about the topic again.
Canada was originally hired in 2020 as a quarterbacks coach under previous offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner, but he was clearly being groomed to overtake him. When Fichtner was fired following the 2020 season, it only took a few weeks for them to announce Canada would be the new offensive coordinator. Many around the NFL questioned the hire due to Canada's minimal NFL experience. However, Canada seemed to impress the front office, and they took a chance on him.
With two seasons under his belt, Canada has been extremely underwhelming. With his brief reaction to the question, it's possible to glean that Tomlin does not believe in his current offensive coordinator. He did not provide any ringing endorsements for Canada, and his response indicates that he has been less than impressed with Canada so far.
Most of the information coming from the Steelers front office was they wanted to keep continuity with Pickett and Canada as the former first-round pick continues to progress. Perhaps the Steelers have seen how much changing of offensive strategy and personnel can hinder the progression of a quarterback and it made them gun-shy to part ways. When Tomlin was questioned about his opinion on keeping continuity between quarterback and offensive coordinator, he seemed to agree with the front office's opinion.
It's imperative that the progression of Pickett is the primary focus for the Steelers as an organization. In order for them to return to being a Super Bowl contender, they must have a quarterback they can rely on. With Pickett's quick progression during the 2022 season, there has to be optimism within the organization that he can become a franchise signal-caller. The Steelers must continue to surround the quarterback with talent both on the field and on the sidelines.
Tomlin's comments suggest that Canada's days could be numbered as offensive coordinator. With a two-year track record of being a bottom-10 offense in the NFL, Canada must make a jump this year to secure his future in Pittsburgh. With Tomlin slowly backing out of Canada's corner, it's time for him to put up or shut up in 2023.
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