It wasn’t a long answer, but Mike Tomlin only needed one word to refute a recent report that OC Matt Canada’s role was evolving as the Pittsburgh Steelers looked to get their offense on track.
On Sunday morning, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that Canada’s role was increasing. In addition to play-calling duties, he would also work more closely with QB Kenny Pickett and become a de facto quarterbacks coach.
During his weekly Tuesday press conference streamed via the team’s YouTube channel, Tomlin was asked if Canada’s role has shifted.
“No,” Tomlin said.
And that’s all he said. But it’s all he needed to say.
While it’ll be difficult for those on the outside to know if Canada’s role has changed, much of that happens behind the scenes, Schultz is the only one to make that type of claim so far.
Regardless of roles, results are all that matter. Pittsburgh made progress in Sunday night’s 23-18 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Kenny Pickett played his best game of the season and threw for the first multi-touchdown game of his career while helping to bleed clock in the fourth quarter to help seal the victory. Overall, the offense made strides, something Tomlin commented on during his press conference.
Calls for Canada to be fired persisted over the first two weeks, including chants from the Acrisure Stadium crowd during the team’s Week Two win over the Cleveland Browns, a game in which the Steelers needed two defensive scores to come out on top. Canada and the offense have struggled to carry over their summer success into the regular season, scoring just two touchdowns in the first two games. They’ll need to build upon Week Three’s performance for Sunday’s tilt against the Houston Texans, fresh off an upset win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator for the 2021 season, Canada is in the final year of his contract. The Steelers rarely fire coaches mid-contract, choosing to “part ways” after they expire. If the Steelers can’t end the year on a positive note, they’ll be looking for a new coordinator in 2024. But to hear it from Tomlin, the team didn’t reshuffle the coaching staff to try to get more out of Canada, Pickett, and the Steelers offense.
