Pittsburgh Steelers fans have been begging the organization to fire Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada practically since he got promoted from quarterbacks coach in 2021. The Steelers are headed into their bye week with a record of 3-2 five weeks into the 2023 season and are number one in the AFC North. The leads and the wins have not quieted the Canada haters who are still chanting for him to be fired everywhere they can, including during opening night at the Pittsburgh Penguins game.
Fans are just as passionate about who could possibly replace Canada as they are about sacking him in the first place. The name that gets thrown about most often as his possible replacement is former Steelers quarterback Byron Leftwich. But one former Steelers offensive lineman, Ramon Foster, said they won't hire Leftwich right now. The reason he gives is not the usual one about the "Steelers Way."
Foster now co-hosts a podcast with Pittsburgh sports reporter Dejan Kovacevic on DK Pittsburgh Sports called The Ramon Foster Show. In a recent episode, Foster and Kovacevic discussed the recent reports that Leftwich had reached out to the Steelers himself to enquire, instead of Pittsburgh contacting him. Foster said that fans do not totally understand how those relationships work between players, coaches, and the front office.
"Byron's a Steeler. He won a Super Bowl with this team and of course, he can just be in the building, that's the thing about coaching... you want to be in the fold, in the building. As an analyst, Byron's just lending his hand."
Foster added that he does not see the Steelers bringing Leftwich in, in any kind of capacity, unless Canada is gone. It is looking less and less likely, as we creep closer and closer to the Week 7 game that the team will fire Canada during the season.
"Why would you bring Byron in if you hadn't let go of the other guy? That's just too much writing on the wall and then you also have Glenn Thomas, that's too many chefs in the kitchen."
If there is a "consultant" brought in to help oversee the offense, it would create a really awkward situation for both coaches. There would be some internal struggle to share responsibilities and for people to know their place. While people like to complain that the "Steelers Way" is to hang onto coaches far too long or to not let anyone go during the season, Foster elaborated.
"You don't want to burn those bridges, I can't stress enough about how you guys want to execute Matt Canada, you can't burn those bridges in that fashion. You just can't. Whether that be Byron on the bad end of something or Coach Tomlin or somebody, you don't burn those bridges. If you're gonna make a change, make a change, you fire them, but you don't bring in nobody like that."
It makes the water too muddy to have someone else in there "helping." Both Foster and Kovacevic agree that if the Steelers were to bring in Leftwich, they would need to let Canada go first. However, even if Canada is fired, the team will likely continue to use his playbook for the rest of the season, it would just be someone new calling the plays. Maybe that makes enough of a difference and maybe it doesn't.
Steelers And Byron Leftwich Have A Winning History
Leftwich, who was most recently an offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, played in Pittsburgh in 2008 and then again from 2010-2012. He was the seventh overall draft pick in 2003 by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Steelers brought in Leftwich to backup Ben Roethlisberger when the regular backup Charlie Batch was injured during the preseason. He earned a Super Bowl ring as the backup quarterback when the Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals.
He agreed to a two-year contract with Tampa and was named the starting quarterback only to be benched in favor of Josh Johnson. The Buccaneers traded Leftwich back to Pittsburgh in 2010 for a seventh-round draft pick and he was once again the backup to Roethlisberger, and once again went to a Super Bowl where the Steelers lost to the Green Bay Packers.
Leftwich was a bit injury prone and this seemed to impact his ability to play consistently. However, that coaching mentality was there even early on and he was often seen helping his starting quarterbacks break down plays on the sidelines.
While it is unclear if the Steelers are even remotely considering Leftwich for the job, Foster points out that the team will give it all the consideration it deserves. He said they won't just do something willy-nilly. For one thing, it would be terrible to set Leftwich up for failure by putting him in a job he isn't prepared for. It would also be a shame to have him become as hated by Pittsburgh as Canada is. Foster said he hopes they find the absolute best man for the job.
More must-reads: