Mike Tomlin finally saw enough.
The Steelers fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada amid continued offensive struggles and players questioning the direction of the offense, according to NFL Network.
Pittsburgh will now use co-coordinators in quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan and running backs coach Eddie Faulkner, according to another NFL Network report.
Canada, in his third season as the team’s offensive coordinator, oversaw a Steelers unit that had been out-gained in each game this season despite a 6-4 record.
This move had been a hot topic in the Steel City with the team’s offense sputtering and second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett failing to develop.
The Steelers ranks 26th in yards per game (280.1) and points per game (16.6), and are only ahead of the Giants in passing yards per game (170.0).
Canada’s last game featured another dismal output in a 13-10 loss to Browns backup quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Pickett threw for just 106 yards in the AFC North matchup.
While Tomlin has been loyal to Canada, the players seemingly turning on Canada may have been the final straw.
Running back Najee Harris didn’t use Canada’s name after the loss to the Browns, but made it clear he’s fed up with the Steelers’ ineffective offensive attack.
“There’s just a lot of stuff that just goes around that you guys don’t see,” Harris said Sunday.“I guess I’m trying to say, it’s just, I’m just at a point where I’m just tired of this s–t.”
Harris later added: “You could look at the (6-4) record and say, ‘OK, we’re still good right now.’ Or we could look at the record and be like, ‘If we keep playing this type of football, how long is that s–t going to last?’ I look at it like, ‘How long that s–t going to last?’ Y’all could look at it like it’s a good record, but I mean it’s the NFL. Winning how we did, it’s not going to get us nowhere.”
The Steelers’ new-look offense will attempt to keep pace in the AFC North this Sunday when the visit they Bengals, who just lost quarterback Joe Burrow for the season.
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