Heading into the 2023 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers look like a team on the ascent.
Finishing the 2022 season on a hot streak, the front office went to work during the offseason, adding a slew of free agents on both sides of the football as well as nailing the 2023 NFL Draft, landing hopefully their franchise LT in Broderick Jones while getting value picks with CB Joey Porter Jr., TE Darnell Washington, and CB Cory Trice Jr. relative to their respective draft projections.
The defense looks primed to pick up where they left off last season while the offense looks ready to take a step forward from where they’ve been the last couple of seasons given all the talent added around second year QB Kenny Pickett. However, one factor could be key to the offense’s success or failure in 2023: OC Matt Canada.
Speaking with Carl Dukes on the In The Huddle podcast which aired on YouTube, NFL analyst Brain Baldinger said that 2023 in a make-or-break year for Canada given what Pittsburgh has given him to work with.
“I feel like Omar [Khan], Andy Weidl, and the front office has given Matt [Canada] everything you could ask for,” Baldinger said on the In The Huddle podcast. “If Kenny Pickett takes any kind of a step, this should be a top ten offense. Like, they’ve got everything you need. They’ve got slot receivers. They’ve got big wide outs. They’ve got athletic guys. They’ve got a running that is size wise second only to Derrick Henry. They’ve got a rebuilt offensive line. They’ve got a quarterback who looks like he knows what he’s doing. Like, there’s really no excuses for Matt Canada, and he’s under the microscope.”
As we wrote previously for the site, the offense has the makeup to explode in 2023, having an offensive line with established veterans on the interior and young, tantalizing guys like Jones at tackle. The skill positions are loaded with Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, Allen Robinson II, Calvin Austin III, Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Najee Harris, and Jaylen Warren all being capable weapons that can make plays in the passing/running game. Kenny Pickett showed moments of brilliance at the end of last season, showing off that clutch gene to help Pittsburgh go from 2-6 at the bye to nearly making it into the postseason.
Baldinger is right: there are no excuses for Matt Canada in his third season as the Pittsburgh Steelers OC. He has the offensive line, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, and potential franchise quarterback to get the job done. There was much speculation that Canada would be fired around the bye week last season, but Pittsburgh stuck by him.
While Pickett still may experience some growing pains in 2023, it’s up to Canada to bring this offense he’s envisioned to get yards and points on the board to life this season. No more slow starts. No more inefficient red zone trips. The time for excuses is over. For Matt Canada, it’s time to deliver results.
