Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Kenny Pickett just wrapped up his rookie season. Pickett who was not named the Week 1 starter, that job went to veteran Mitch Trubisky, however, he took over Week 4 when Head Coach Mike Tomlin benched Trusbisky. Pickett appeared on the most recent episode of teammate Cam Heyward‘s podcast Not Just Football with Cam Heyward and discussed his relationship with both Tomlin and Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada.
Canada might be the most despised member of Steeler Nation. While OCs are rarely popular, the struggles the Pittsburgh offense has shown since he took over two seasons ago have earned him almost unparalleled disdain.
Tomlin is well known for playing his cards close to the vest, he has already mentioned that he expects to move slower than other teams with some of the off-season processes. This implies fans should not be anxiously waiting for a decision to be announced regarding Canada’s return.
Canada does have one year left on his contract with the Steelers, but it is not uncommon for teams to let under-performing coaches go, well not uncommon in cities other than Pittsburgh. Also, the Steelers made an incredible turnaround the second half of the season, with things clicking into place for the offense. While it was not perfect, they did win the majority of their games, and many think this is enough to earn Canada another shot at the helm.
Steelers Pickett Drops Hint On Canada’s Future
On the show, Heyward asks Pickett to describe his relationship with both Tomlin and Canada. No surprise that Pickett had nothing but praise for Tomlin. He is well known for being a “player’s coach,” and he consistently forms meaningful relationships with the men that play for him.
“What you see is what you get from him. He is the same every day and as a player, I appreciate that. He is just so consistently wired and locked in. I don’t know how it is humanly possible but at five or six in the morning when we get in there, the guy is just ready to go, wired in, locked in. He loves the game, loves his job, loves the guys on the team,” Pickett said.
Pickett said that despite getting a late start at the starting job, Tomlin took him under his wing. Tomlin, a former defensive coordinator, was able to help Pickett break down the film from the other side of the ball. He said he was able to pick the coach’s brain and learn how to see what the defense does during those crucial moments like third down and in the red zone.
He said that when times get tough, like when they were losing early in the season and when Pickett was throwing a lot of interceptions, Tomlin was able to “help keep his head high.” He kept Pickett pushing forward and helped him learn from his mistakes.
“I got nothing but love for Coach T. That’s my guy. I’d go to war for him every day.”
As for Canada, Pickett mentioned how he knew the OC from his time at the University of Pittsburgh. Canada was the coach that recruited Pickett but he never coached him in college. Canada had moved on to LSU prior to Pickett starting.
He said that unfortunately, he did not get as much time with Canada during the early days of the season since he was not the starter. Once he took over he said Canada immediately increased his time with Pickett. He said Canada is very interested in what Pickett feels works, asks him to rank plays during games and wants to understand the game from the quarterback’s perspective.
The team, according to Pickett, caught stride after the bye week. They figured out what it takes to win, and developed more explosive plays and he expects to capitalize on that next season. Then Pickett hinted at Canada’s status for next season.
“He’s doing a great job, trying to figure out what we need to do to get those (more explosive plays). I am excited to continue to work with him this off-season.”
While many were optimistic that Canada might be fired during the offseason, it is looking more and more like the Steelers will allow him to finish out his contract.
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