On Sunday, Pittsburgh fell 13-10 to the Cleveland Browns, who rallied behind rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and won on a field goal with 2 seconds left. The Steelers were 9-0 over the past two seasons in one-score games and were 6-0 in those in 2023. Quarterback Kenny Pickett had a rough game with just 106 yards passing.
A little more than weeks earlier, Canada came down from the coach’s box to communicate better with players on the sideline. Pittsburgh won that Thursday night game vs. the Tennessee Titans, 20-16.
The Steelers fired the embattled offensive coordinator on Tuesday, two-plus years into a tenure in which the team struggled to generate points and yards with regularity.
The move comes with Pittsburgh still in the playoff mix at 6-4 despite an offense that ranks near the bottom of the NFL in points and yards.
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada in 2021. (Caitlyn Epes / Pittsburgh Steelers, file)Pittsburgh Steelers
Frustration outside the organization has been mounting for months. Fans chanted “Fire Canada” during a win over Cleveland on Sept. 18, a refrain that became ubiquitous throughout the region and meme-worthy on social media.
While Tomlin defended Canada for weeks, frustration inside the locker room may have reached a breaking point after the Steelers were held to 249 yards — including just 106 passing — against the Browns. Running back Najee Harris said in the aftermath that he was getting “tired of this,” with wide receiver Diontae Johnson saying simply “you saw the game” when asked what might be wrong.
Perhaps most damning for Canada is the way quarterback Kenny Pickett’s growth has stagnated. Drafted in the first round in 2022, Pickett put together a promising rookie season a year ago and showed flashes of being a difference-maker during the preseason this summer.
There was no immediate word on who would take over playcalling duties, though quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan previously worked as an offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay and New York.
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