One week ago today, the Pittsburgh Steelers did a franchise first. For an organization founded in 1933, there aren’t too many of those left. But the team fired OC Matt Canada last Tuesday, the first time in team history the Steelers ever dismissed a coordinator in the middle of the season.
For most Steelers fans, the news was met with glee. Or relief. Or both. The most disliked coach in sports, Canada’s tenure was marred by poor results and a 2023 offense that went backwards instead of forward.
Briefly commenting on the firing during an appearance on 102.5 DVE’s Randy Baumann Morning Show, Roethlisberger said he was surprised the Steelers made the move.
“Very unlike them,” he told the show. “I didn’t expect it midseason like that. Very uncharacteristic.”
That was all the commentary he offered as the show moved onto other topics, aside from Roethlisberger ribbing comedian and guest Billy Gardell for sending angry letters to Art Rooney II (it was a joke – we think).
While Roethlisberger and Canada made for an awkward pairing in 2021, Roethlisberger had largely defended Canada from throngs of fans who wanted him shown the door. Even coming off the team’s miserable performance in a 13-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 11, Roethlisberger said on his Footbahlin podcast that firing Canada didn’t seem like the correct solution
“It’s like this new thing now, right?” Roethlisberger said on Nov. 19. “It’s ‘Fire Matt Canada,’ this, that, and the other. I don’t know that that’s the answer. Again, people have to understand if it happens, if you fire Matt Canada right now, what does that look like? The team is in the playoffs.
“I mean, right now we’re in the playoffs. We’re 6-4. So, I think they need to probably look at themselves in the mirror as an offense and figure out what they need to do and what they can do, how they can get better.”
The Steelers didn’t see it that way. Two days later, Canada was fired and replaced by the combination of RBs Coach Eddie Faulkner and QBs Coach Mike Sullivan. Faulkner took over the title of interim offensive coordinator while Sullivan took control of play-calling duties.
There’s no question that Roethlisberger is correct in saying it was a decision atypical of the Rooneys, who normally let coordinators play out their contracts let alone fire them in the middle of a season. But mounting frustration from the players, especially in the locker room following the Browns’ loss, appears to have been the driving reason why Mike Tomlin made the move.
While it’s only one game in and conclusions shouldn’t be reached, the initial results are promising. Pittsburgh posted its first 400-yard game since 2020, something the Steelers never did in 44 games under Canada, and the offense fluidly moved the ball despite drives being stalled by negative plays. Still, the offense will have to produce more points, scoring just 16 against a weaker Cincinnati Bengals defense.
They’ll get a crack at a mangled Arizona Cardinals unit, which has allowed at least 20 points in 11 of 12 games. Last week, the Cardinals gave up 38 in a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Rams. If there’s a time for the Steelers to score, this is it.
