When it comes to making significant changes like firing an offensive coordinator, typically those within the organization all know before the media and the fan base know0.
That might not be the case for the Pittsburgh Steelers after they fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada Tuesday morning.
During his weekly press conference Tuesday, Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin stated that he didn’t tell the players before announcing the move, though he did sit down with the entire coaching staff to discuss the changes.
Pressed further on how the players found out about the change at offensive coordinator, Tomlin was rather blunt.
“Probably from you guys,” Tomlin stated to reporters, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page.
The Steelers announced the firing of Canada at 8:45 a.m. Tuesday morning. Tuesday is a day off for the players, so most typically aren’t in the building unless they are there for film work or treatment.
It’s never great to learn that players likely found out through the media regarding a coaching change on their team, but it’s also not that big of a deal. It’s not as if the coach left for another gig or something. With the move occurring on the players’ day off, it’s not as though Pittsburgh could — or would have — called everyone in for an emergency meeting.
Tomlin will undoubtedly address the change on Wednesday in his team meeting to kick off the week of preparation for the Cincinnati Bengals.
It’s a move that had to be made though. The Steelers were very lackluster on Sunday in Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns, scoring just 10 points and gaining just 249 yards of total offense in a frustrating 13-10 loss that dropped them to 6-4 on the season.
Players were frustrated after the game, including running back Najee Harris, who stated plainly that he was “tired of this shit” though it was unclear exactly what he was referring to.
The decision to end the Canada tenure comes at a surprising time, but it is warranted. Tomlin stated Tuesday that it’s a results-oriented business and there’s no denying that the results weren’t there. The Steelers’ offense is one of the worst in the NFL, and it has been since Canada became the offensive coordinator. No 400-yard offensive outputs, just one 300-yard passing game, two games of 30-plus points —both losses. It was all a mess.
Something had to change. That the players didn’t hear it from Tomlin first isn’t all that big of a deal. How they handle the news and adjust to the changes is the most important thing now.
