PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The move wasn’t about looking ahead to next year or seeing more of what Kenny Pickett has to make a quarterback decision necessarily. Mike Tomlin said he fired Matt Canada because it can help them win now.
“We’re not urinating on the fire,” Tomlin said. “We are getting ready to play a football game and win this week. That is the only agenda here. It’s not big picture and 2024 and all of that. This organization is not wired like that.”
As for what he wants to see from Pickett going forward.
“Looking to win,” Tomlin said bluntly.
He would go on to explain, after he was asked again, that there wasn’t enough continuity of their work. He was concerned the offense in totality didn’t move forward. As he put it, they were showing signs of early season mistakes midway through the year and it was unacceptable.
As for why he has confidence in last year’s first-round pick?
“Because I work with him every day,” Tomlin said of Pickett. “I’ve been really transparent with you guys about him. His willingness to work and my experience and what that tells me. This guy will do any and everything. He works extremely hard.”
“There is such a thing as football justice, those guys usually get what they are looking for.”
“That’s why I remain consistently optimistic about the trajectory of his growth and development.”
Asked how a coordinator change will affect Pickett, Tomlin said he doesn’t know. It’s his first time making this decision. He’s not really sure how they will impact him. The Steelers head coach did add that Pickett was in Tuesday morning, on an off day, as an indication of his commitment.
Several players had expressed frustration over play-calling and predictability of the offensive plan. They all found out through the media and he’s ok with their passion after games.
“They care,” Tomlin said. “They want to be the reason why we are successful. You want to work with guys like that, they don’t run from opportunity, but want to be central components of it. They love football. They do what we ask them to do, largely.”
Tomlin says he appreciates they have largely absorbed the struggles, mostly kept their mouths shut and went back to work to look forward to the next opportunity.
They continue to play for now, going forward without the offensive coordinator but the same starting quarterback.