Report: Steelers don't plan to fire OC Matt Canada, reassign his duties in season

The Steelers offense can’t get itself out of neutral and Pittsburgh fans at home games are chanting to “Fire Matt Canada.” But one report suggests there will be no changes.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported Saturday that Canada is safe, at least in mid-October, She wrote:

The Pittsburgh Steelers have no plans to fire offensive coordinator Matt Canada or turn the play calling over to another coach on the staff, a person familiar with the situation shared this week. I was told if a move was going to be made, it would have happened already. Though fans have criticized Canada and his play calling, Steelers players and coach Mike Tomlin have continued to show him support. I was told the team held a meeting this week to come together and search for some answers as they approach the bye week.

The organization doesn’t traditionally fire assistant coaches in-season but rather leans into improving performance by adding more physical practice. Development at quarterback and along the offensive line will be critical. The Steelers have solid skill players but need help running the ball and giving Kenny Pickett time to throw to George Pickens, Diontae Johnson or Pat Freiermuth.”

The Steelers are enjoying a bye weekend. And a break in the action can allow a team to reset. The team is 3-2 and its 17-10 win over the Ravens gave them momentum headed into the bye. However, the game did nothing to quiet the complaints about the offense or Canada, it’s coordinator.

Kenny Pickett, who is in his second season as starting quarterback, hit receiver George Pickens for a 41-yard touchdown with 1 minute, 17 seconds to play against the Ravens. The touchdown pushed the Steelers ahead 14-10. They added a quick field goal after the defense recovered a Lamar Jackson fumbled.

“We found a way to win down the stretch,” Pickett told reporters after the game. “I think that’s all that matters. You know, we’re nowhere near as good as we need to be.”

But Pickett is underselling the Steelers offense. They truly are no where near where they should be to win games, at least consistently. Even in a win against the Ravens, the offense generated only 289 total yards, 202 of them via the air. They rank 30th in the NFL in total offense at 268.2 yards per game. And the offense, which averages 15.8 points per game, is 29th in the league.

Canada spoke to the press earlier this week. He acknowledged there were some issues.

“We’d like to be better but there’s a lot of football left,” Canada said. “And I think there’s a good vibe from the guys about getting to go out and play the rest of the season and certainly do what they expected to do coming into the season.”

The Steelers took five days off, then will report back to start prepping for their road game, Oct. 22, against the Rams.