At one point, Louis Riddick was in the mix to become the Pittsburgh Steelers’ next GM. While not a finalist, he was interviewed for the job. And had the Steelers offered it to him, odds are good Matt Canada would no longer be the team’s offensive coordinator.
Appearing on Monday’s episode of The Rich Eisen Show, Riddick made it clear the Steelers are way past due trying to make it work with Canada as Pittsburgh’s offense continues to flounder.
“There have been questions surrounding Matt Canada going back to Ben’s days,’ Riddick told the show. “And philosophically, if he really had the right plan relative to what their personnel was at the time. Now, is he able to really call plays situationally that highlight the best players on their football team and really allow them to be more explosive down the field? Primarily, the utilization of George Pickens. Why did he disappear late in the game yesterday? Why was he not targeted late in the game? How can he not be targeted?”
Canada’s situational playcalling has certainly been called into question through his tenure as team OC after being promoted from QBs Coach in 2021. The Steelers’ passing game hit a low point in Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Browns, with QB Kenny Pickett not even touching 100 yards until the final play of the game.
Pickens finished the day with four catches for 38 yards and a “long” of 14, his fourth-straight game held under 50 yards. Though still on pace for his first 1,000-yard season, his trajectory is trending down like the rest of the passing game. Discounting the end-game lateral pitched to him, Pickens had only one reception for 12 yards in the second half of Sunday’s loss and he was targeted only twice. On the team’s final two drives that could’ve won the game, he never saw the ball.
But Riddick understands the issues aren’t all on Canada. Pickett has struggled just as much, leading many to wonder if the team made a mistake drafting him.
“And then there are obvious questions surrounding Kenny…now people are questioning whether or not Kenny Pickett is someone who was way overdrafted”
Through 22 starts, Pickett’s not shown signs of becoming a franchise quarterback. If anything, he’s further away from that mark compared to where he started the year. Barring a turnaround in his play, it’ll be fair to at least question if the Steelers should consider going in a new direction this offseason, even if they’re most likely to stick with Pickett for 2024.
Riddick believes Mike Tomlin’s stubbornness and being loyal to a fault is the reason why Canada remains in his role. And he hinted those even inside the team aren’t happy about it.
“They should be better than what they are. Ultimately, the question is going to be, and I’ve heard this question surrounding Matt Canada for years now, why is Mike so fiercely loyal to him? Why won’t he move on? Why won’t he make a decision like Sean McDermott did with Ken Dorsey?… I’ve heard this. This is a real thing in Pittsburgh externally and internally with that organization. Mike is loyal to him for some reason.”
The reasons for the team keeping Canada are clear even if they’re not agreeable. Pittsburgh wanted to maintain continuity from 2022 to 2023, avoiding having Pickett pick up a new playbook his sophomore year and stunt his growth. Of course, the irony is this season is doing just that but that was the Steelers’ rationale, allowing a young offense to grow and build.
As for mid-season changes, like the Bills firing Dorsey, it’s a move Pittsburgh simply doesn’t make. There’s no record of the team firing a coordinator mid-season and even mid-contract offseason firings are rare. That can be blamed on ownership more than the coaching staff, unwilling to pay coordinators to sit at home, even if Art Rooney II has refuted the notion.
Regardless of the reason, Riddick thinks the franchise’s emphasis on stability will do more harm than good.
“You know how Mike is. Very convicted. I think it’s going to catch up to him.”
Following the loss, the Steelers are 6-4 on the season, dropping to third place in the AFC North. Though still the seventh seed in the playoff race, their margin for error just decreased and next Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals nearly becomes a must-win. They’re looking to get back into the playoffs after missing out last season and Pittsburgh hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016, the longest drought since the franchise’s inception, 1933-1971 (and there weren’t exactly big playoff brackets back then). If the Steelers collapse and are sitting at home Wild Card weekend, the reasons will be clear. So will the changes.
