It’s been rumored the Steelers were waiting for the Buccaneers to make a decision on offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich before deciding on Matt Canada’s fate. On Tuesday morning, the Buccaneers fired Leftwich, following a chaotic season and lifeless playoff loss to the Cowboys.
Yet, there’s been no apparent motion with the Steelers and Canada. Could he really come back for 2023?
The Fan’s Andrew Fillipponi reported Friday there’s a 99 percent chance that Canada returns next season, and it looks like that may be the case. Teams are already switching coordinators, or in the Patriots’ case, announcing their intentions to do so.
Last week, Mike Tomlin told reporters the Steelers will operate more slowly than other clubs. “We’ll proceed methodically through this,” he said. “We’ll probably move a little slower than most of our peers, but we don’t worry about the Joneses.”
That’s fine, but we’re now nine days removed from the end of Pittsburgh’s 2022 season. Back in 2018, the Steelers waited just three days before relieving Todd Haley of his play-calling duties.
It’s hard to fathom how much more time the Steelers need to decide whether Canada is the right coach to further develop Kenny Pickett. They averaged just 18.1 points per game this season — the 26th-best scoring average in the league.
We saw flashes late in the season of what the Steelers could accomplish with a real offensive coordinator. Pickett led three game-winning drives this year, including an impressive final series against the Raiders on Christmas Eve, in which he completed 7-of-9 passes and accounted for all 76 yards.
The Giants are proof of how much coaching impacts young quarterbacks. Daniel Jones looks like an ascendent star under Brian Daboll’s tutelage, whereas he appeared to be a lost cause with Joe Judge.
Pickett showed this season he has the talent. He just needs the coaching.
What’s taking so long?