Glowing reviews for Matt Canada not a good sign for the Steelers

The Steelers have a tough decision on their hands with Matt Canada. If it were up to the fans, Pittsburgh would already be looking for a new offensive coordinator.

Matt Canada led one of the league’s worst offenses for the second straight year. Yet, it’s not so simple this time around, as Canada’s unit improved with a rookie quarterback at the helm in the tail end of the 2022-23 campaign.

So, what should Mike Tomlin do?

The Steelers must make a tough call. Despite Canada’s system finally sinking in, somewhat, for this young group, they also want to make sure they get it right with Kenny Pickett. Sticking him with the wrong offensive coordinator can do irreversible damage and stunt his growth.

Steelers give Matt Canada glowing reviews

On Sunday, Najee Harris said he appreciated Canada’s effort and even went as far as to vouch for him.

“I can’t control none of that, so I’m not really gonna answer that … but we all believe in Canada. Everybody’s saying he called the same plays, but everybody calls the same plays. You can look at everybody everywhere. Everybody calls the same plays,” Harris said.

On Monday afternoon, even Mike Tomlin had some nice words to say about Canada. It’s tough to know if Pittsburgh is just being nice, or if it’s an endorsement of what’s to come.

“I thought he got better as our team got better,” Tomlin said.

That’s not exactly demanding more from an offense who struggled to reach the 20-point plateau on a weekly basis.

At the end of the day, coordinators are expendable, and the good play-callers often go on to be head coaches. That’s what makes the Steelers predicament so challenging. They want a coach who can grow with Pickett, and perhaps not have to replace him in just a few years time.

Just like a bad coordinator can have a negative impact on a young QB’s development, so can playing under multiple mentors in a short stretch of time.

However, that’s not an excuse to keep a guy like Canada around.