Steelers Rumors: Matt Canada to Return as OC on Mike Tomlin's Coaching Staff

The Pittsburgh Steelers will maintain continuity with their offensive system heading into the 2023 season as they reportedly will keep Matt Canada in place as the offensive coordinator.

According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steelers have "no plans to replace" Canada, who will continue as a member of head coach Mike Tomlin's staff.

Dulac added that the return of Canada was "never really in doubt" despite "a public outcry to fire him and numerous rumors about his coaching status."

The offense showed substantial improvement as the Steelers won six of their last seven games to finish with a 9-8 record, extending Tomlin's run of never having a losing season since his hiring in 2007. Pittsburgh averaged 151.8 rushing yards during its season-ending four-game win streak.

The strong finish plus the strides made in the development of rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett were "large factors" in retaining Canada, per Dulac. The 24-year-old threw for 2,404 yards, seven touchdowns and nine interceptions in 13 appearances, though he only had one pick over his final eight outings.

Despite the apparent vote of confidence in Canada, it was no secret the Steelers had one of the worst offenses in the league this season. Pittsburgh ranked 26th in the NFL with 18.1 points per game, and the team's 28 offensive touchdowns tied for the third-fewest.

Dulac noted Canada will enter the final season of his contract in 2023 and said it isn't clear if he'll "have to adjust his approach and have his offensive assistants be more involved in the game plan."