The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves between a rock and a hard place offensively, pertaining to their second-year starting quarterback Kenny Pickett and their offensive coordinator Matt Canada. While the Steelers have actually played very sound and complementary football this season, this is once again a defensive-led team. This is because the offense is limited with Canada, and Pickett, too.
Although Canada's contract with the team expires after this season, there is a chance he could be retained by way of an extension. Dorin Dickerson of 93.7 The Fan touched on that very subject recently over the airwaves. The thought is if Pickett plays better, it will result in Canada sticking around for the long-term, which Steelers fans honestly do not want. Could you really blame them?
Conversely, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic answered the following topic in a recent mailbag that he believes Canada is cooked in Pittsburgh, barring Pickett playing like he did during his peak years at Pitt. This has to be frustrating for Steelers fans. They have a championship-caliber defense, but an offense that will make next to no noise in a deep AFC, should the Steelers qualify for the postseason.
Essentially, the Steelers have to pick between two pretty crummy alternatives in this here situation.
How did we get into this mess? I have to be honest, it starts and ends with head coach Mike Tomlin...
NFL rumors: If Kenny Pickett sticks, then Matt Canada stays in Pittsburgh
Where this lands for me is the Steelers have long been trying to shove a square peg through a round hole. While some of this falls on their former starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for not helping the franchise out in the final years of his illustrious career from a mentoring standpoint, you have to put the bulk of the blame on Tomlin. He can win nine games a year, but his offense has gotten worse.
Tomlin may be a defensive-minded coach, and a damn good one, but what does it say about his program if the Steelers extended Canada anyway after a season where the Steelers go something like 10-7, get the No. 6 seed and lose on Wild Card Weekend to a better team featuring a superior franchise quarterback than Pickett? Obviously, there is a lot to unpack there, but don't you see it?!
Unless Tomlin makes a sharp pivot and starts to really value offensive coaching personnel, then this is all the Steelers are going to be. He may give them a very high floor, but this team and this city are not about having high floors. It is about winning championships! Having a high floor is something the Pittsburgh Pirates would aspire to. The Steelers are about winning Super Bowls, but this ain't it, man!
As much as we would love to see the Steelers in anyway, an honest reset is better for them long-term.