On Sunday, NFL insider Jordan Schultz came out with a report that Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada was getting an increased role in the organization. The report implied that he’d take over some of the duties Mike Sullivan holds as the Steelers’ quarterbacks coach, but Mike Tomlin refuted the report in his Tuesday press conference.
On the QB Room podcast with Jordan Palmer and Kyle Allen, Steelers QB Kenny Pickett joined his head coach in shooting down the report.
“Coach T came out and addressed that today. I didn’t know about that until someone brought it up to me. I don’t know where that info came from. That’s definitely false. We’re meeting, we’re doing our same routine, maybe meeting a little bit more. Coach Sullivan is still my quarterback coach,” Pickett said. “I don’t think anything really changed drastically. Not sure where that one came from, but we’re all collectively working together. Obviously didn’t have a great Week One, but it’s steadily getting better.”
While Pickett acknowledged he might meet more with Canada now, that’s natural after the season starts and the two dissect what is and isn’t working with Pittsburgh’s offense. It doesn’t sound as if the report was rooted in any sort of substantial change happening within the Steelers’ organization, and Tomlin and Pickett were quick to call it false.
We obviously don’t know the inner workings or day-to-day operations of the Steelers’ organization, but with both Tomlin and Pickett coming out against the initial report, it doesn’t seem as if there’s any real merit behind it. It’s something Canada will surely be asked about during his press conference tomorrow. Given that both Tomlin and Pickett have basically called it a false rumor, Canada will likely do the same.
It’s a good thing that Canada is meeting more with Pickett, as the two look to get on the same page during the second year of their partnership. Pittsburgh’s Week Three win over the Las Vegas Raiders was the best game of the season for Pickett, as he threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-18 victory. It was also the best game of the season for the offense as a whole, with the running game contributing over 100 yards for the first time this season. An increase in collaboration and face-to-face time between Pickett and Canada should only lead to more positive results for the Steelers’ offense.
As Pickett acknowledged, the offense was a mess in Week One and it didn’t get much better in Week Two, although two defensive touchdowns helped the Steelers squeeze out a win over the Cleveland Browns. With the Steelers now at 2-1 and some positive momentum with their offense after the win over Las Vegas, it’s a unit that should have confidence and will look to ignore all the off-the-field chatter about Canada’s role in the offense as the Steelers prepare for a Week Four matchup against the Houston Texans.
Watch the full interview with Pickett below:
