With the Pittsburgh Steelers firing OC Matt Canada on Tuesday, we haven’t gotten to hear much in the way of reaction from players. Tuesday is the team’s off day and they won’t be in front of media scrums until tomorrow morning and afternoon.
But we know Cam Heyward’s take. Dropping the latest episode of his Not Just Football (but a show very much about football, especially today) podcast, Heyward reacted to the news of Canada’s dismissal. He told co-host Hayden Walsh he found out about the news around 8:30 AM this morning, about ten minutes before the team made a public announcement.Â
While many fans are reveling in the news, Heyward isn’t celebrating, even if he understands the team’s decision.
“A lot of people, we think singing, ‘ding dong, the witch is dead’ and it’s supposed to be something you celebrate,” Heyward said. “I don’t really look at it like that. Coach Canada was a guy who, he tried. And he was trying to get the offense back on point and the points weren’t there like we wanted. We all have to take accountability for it…I won’t ever celebrate anybody getting fired. I just don’t think that’s right. I know how much everybody puts into this. I know how much guys study, coaches study, and how much they want it for their crew.”
Fans have been literally chanting for a change for weeks, turning Canada into a Wicked Witch. All over the country, fans have either called for or made signs with the “Fire Canada” tag in what’s almost become a cultural thing to do regardless of how the Steelers’ offense was looking. Tuesday, they got their wish. To Heyward’s point, while it may have been the right move for the team, it’s a tough end for a coach who put in hours and hours of work to try and make things right.
For the Steelers, it’s the first in-season coordinator change the team has ever made. It speaks to how bad things had gotten under Canada, who struggled through his three seasons as offensive coordinator. Hired from the college ranks, he spent 2020 as the team’s quarterbacks coach before being promoted to OC, replacing Randy Fichtner after the team “parted ways” with him after the 2020 season.Â
Pittsburgh’s offense has only regressed under Canada. The 2021 and 2022 seasons could be explained away with Canada trying to mesh with Ben Roethlisberger in his final season, always an awkward fit. In 2022, the team rotated quarterbacks, played a rookie in Kenny Pickett, and went through tons of change. But this was supposed to be the year it came together. It obviously did not. The Steelers rank near the bottom in most offensive categories, especially in points, yards, and all things related to the passing game.
Ideally, the change in coaching will bring a breath of fresh air to the team. Quarterback Coach Mike Sullivan will take over playcalling duties, having called games in the NFL before, while Running Backs Coach Eddie Faulkner will manage the coaching staff throughout the week and carry the official “interim OC” tag. But Heyward admits he doesn’t know if the offense will improve just because of the change. Not for a lack of confidence in the group but the realization that change doesn’t always mean improvement. At least not instantly.
“Only time will tell,” Heyward said when asked if this was the right move for the team to make. “I think when you look at the situation, it comes down to execution first. Any person who thinks just firing an OC and you’re automatically gonna get 10 times better, you’re sadly mistaken in our game. It comes down to execution at a high level. It comes down to everybody being on one accord. And so we’ll see. This week will prove a lot, but more weeks after that, we’ll keep pushing forward.”
While Heyward can’t control that side of the ball, and there are areas of concern and issues the Steelers’ defense must clean up, he had a message for those on the other side. No more excuses and it’s time to step up.
“Everybody in that offensive huddle has got to take ahold of this. Because if you lose your offensive coordinator, who are you going to next?”
Meaning, that if results stay the same under new coaches, players are going to be shown the door just like Canada. Pittsburgh will have seven regular season games to become, at least, an average offense. If they can do that, they’ll likely get a chance to show their improvements in the playoffs, looking to win their first playoff game since 2016. For Cam Heyward, a postseason win would be just the second of his career.
Catch the full episode below.
