The Steelers are now in their offseason after failing to reach the playoffs in 2022, coming up just a game short of sneaking in as the seventh seed. They needed help in week 18 and only got some of it, so instead they sat home and watched the playoffs with the rest of us.
On tap is figuring out how to be on the field in January and February instead of being a spectator. They started out 2-6, digging a hole that proved too deep to dig out of even if they managed to go 7-2 in the second half of the year.
Starting from the end of the regular season and leading all the way up to the beginning of the 2023 season, there are plenty of questions that need answered, starting with who will be the offensive coordinator. Which free agents will be kept? Who might be let go due to their salary? How might they tackle free agency with this new front office? We’ll try to frame the conversation in relevant ways as long as you stick with us throughout this offseason, as we have for many years.
Question: How long of a leash will offensive coordinator Matt Canada have during the 2023 season?
Maybe the answer to this is obvious. Maybe it’s not. The Steelers are entering the 2023 season with the belief that they have done enough work this offseason to compete. They have their defense. They have their quarterback. They have their line, their running back, their wide receivers, their tight ends.
In other words, the excuses for the lack of success on offense are running out, and that falls upon the shoulders of Matt Canada, the Steelers’ offensive coordinator, if it continues. He’s been on the job for two years now, having had two different (actually three) quarterbacks along the way, but in theory, he should be ready to roll now.
So what if they come out of the gate struggling? What if they’re still poor at the midpoint of the season? What actions might the Steelers take, if any? Is there any chance that they would actually make a mid-season firing—or at least a reassignment?
Back in 2013, the team basically stripped offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. of his duties and allowed assistant Shaun Sarrett to take over. They didn’t fire him until after the season was over. But they did make a change.
Firing coordinators in-season is far from uncommon. The Baltimore Ravens have done it a couple of times in recent memory. It’s not something the Steelers do, firing coaches in-season—or at least it hasn’t been.
But a firing wouldn’t be necessary to make changes. Responsibilities could be reassigned. Somebody else could call the plays, for example. Somebody else could take over the run game, or the pass game, or any number of other responsibilities. So the question is simply, what would it take before the Steelers feel compelled to do something in-season, if it came to that? How long is Canada’s leash?
