Steelers Fire Matt Canada: The Pittsburgh Steelers have decided to part ways with their offensive coordinator, Matt Canada, amid his fourth season with the team. The decision was announced by coach Mike Tomlin, who cited offensive inconsistencies and a lack of improvement as the primary reasons for the dismissal.
Steelers Fire Matt Canada: Did Matt Canada Get Fired?
“I did not come to this decision lightly, to be really transparent with you,” Tomlin said. “It is my role to absorb and protect those that I work with, and this doesn’t feel like that. Obviously, I’m not interested in assigning blame or deflecting in any way.”
Tomlin emphasized that the move resulted from the team’s performance on the field. “This is a results-oriented business, and to be short, the improvements were not rapid enough or consistent enough for us to proceed,” he stated.
Despite achieving a respectable record of 24-19-1 over the past three seasons, making it the 12th-best in the NFL, the Steelers found themselves at the bottom of crucial offensive categories during Matt Canada’s tenure as offensive coordinator.
Why Was Matt Canada Fired?
Pittsburgh hasn’t changed coaches during the season at the coordinator level or higher since 1941 when they had three head coaches. Canada got fired because the Steelers’ offense had trouble scoring points in recent games.
Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada’s Salary
Offensive Rankings under Matt Canada
- Offensive PPG: 17.9 (28th in the NFL)
- Total YPG: 310.1 (28th)
- Yards per play: 4.8 (30th)
- Red zone TD pct.: 52% (27th)
- No 1st down pct.: 37%
These statistics show a stark contrast to the team’s overall win-loss record, indicating a significant struggle to perform efficiently on the offensive side of the ball.
Matt Canada Contract
Matt Canada was in the final year of a three-year contract with the Steelers. Since his appointment as the offensive coordinator in 2021, the team has faced challenges, averaging only 18.6 points per game and scoring 30 or more points twice in 44 games.
“It was a rare move by the Steelers, who traditionally don’t believe in firing coaches during the season,” noted Tomlin. The decision to part ways with Canada mid-season underscores the urgency the team felt to address their offensive woes.
