Steelers' Matt Canada Encouraged By Exciting Offensive Tackle Battle Ahead Of 2023 Opener

The Pittsburgh Steelers made the 2023 offseason all about improving and getting deeper as a team. With time counting down until the 2023 NFL regular season kicks off, the Steelers are riding a productive and successful offseason. They brought in talent via the 2023 NFL Draft and surprised fans and pundits alike by opening the franchise's wallet during free agency. However, the one decision that could be categorized as a misstep would be when the Steelers decided to retain Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada for the 2023 season.

Steelers' Matt Canada Focused On 2023 Amidst Fans' Frustration

The Steelers set out to reestablish their identity in 2023, and that meant getting stronger, bigger, and being able to control the trenches of a game. The draft brought in Broderick Jones, and they signed Isaac Seumalo, two examples of their dedication to improving their offensive line with immediate results. Many assumed that the first-round draft day trade to pick Jones meant that longtime starter Dan Moore Jr. was out of a job. With all three 2023 preseason games in the rearview mirror, it seems that those assumptions were a bit too hasty.

Canada has been tasked with bringing the running game back to life and adding grit to the offense, and with the 2023 opener looming, Jones doesn't have the starting job wrapped up. In fact, it seems that Moore Jr. has risen to the challenge before him when most people expected him to watch the job be taken from him. After starting 33 of a possible 34 games during the 2021-2022 seasons, Moore Jr. isn't inexperienced or daunted by the battle that he has been in since workouts began. 

It isn't that Canada dislikes Jones or prefers Moore Jr.; at this point, it's all about who can perform when it really matters. Where the Steelers are now in the 2023 preseason, it's been Moore. Jr. more often than not. Canada spoke to the media on Saturday about how he thought Jones was doing, and it was apparent that while Jones may not be the starter now, he is doing enough right things to be noticed.

“I really like him. He plays super hard, and I think he does everything you would want to see a guy like him do. He’s trying to get better every day."

True, it isn't a ringing endorsement for the rookie, but it is what you expect from a 2023 first-round pick with Georgia pedigree. This isn't your average NFL franchise; when you wear the Black and Gold, it comes with standards. On most teams, a rookie who was drafted with a big trade would practically be crowned a starter before he got off the draft day stage; not in Pittsburgh. Canada knows that everything rides on how the team performs in 2023, or else he will be looking for a new job in the 2024 offseason instead of building an offense.

Steelers Have Steady Confidence In Tackle Bookends

Despite starting all but one game during the last two seasons, Moore Jr.'s performance on the field didn't jump off the page. The young offensive tackle allowed seven sacks and 10 hits on the quarterback in 2022, both were the highest on the team. He was also the second-lowest-ranked offensive lineman on the squad in 2022 (62.4 by PFF), making the 2023 offseason an uphill climb. For Moore Jr., though, it's all about taking things one step at a time and improving bit by bit.

“Coach always talks about getting 1 percent better each day, and that’s the mindset I am going in with every day."

Moore Jr. had a challenge before him when the 2022 season ended, but when Jones was drafted, the position battle suddenly became very real. It would have been far too easy for Moore Jr. to give in to the media, fans, and pundits during the 2023 offseason and assume the job was already lost, but that isn't what happened. He adjusted his diet plan and worked harder at the things he knew were his weak spots (14 penalties in the last two years). So far in 2023, it seems to be paying off.

Canada has his work cut out for him in 2023. It would also be easy for him and Head Coach Mike Tomlin to shrug and hand the job to Jones, the anointed rookie, but as with Moore Jr., that isn't the direction they chose. It seems as though the communication within the front office has also improved since 2022, with Canada's offense already outperforming their 2022 performances. It all begins and ends with Pittsburgh's offensive line, though, and Canada knows full well the battle that is going on for positions.

"You know, we’re in a situation where we’ve got three really good tackles competing for those jobs. Chuks and Dan have played a lot of football for us, Broderick is coming in and battling. Credit to him for coming to work every day; Broderick gets better every day. He just has to continue to grow, and he has a huge, huge ceiling as he evolves into an NFL player.”

It's dangerous to read too much into a single line from a coach or player, but it sounds like Canada is recognizing the experience that Moore Jr. and Chukwuma Okorafor bring to the table. There is no discounting the exciting energy that the fan base gets when they think about their massive rookie starting on opening day, but there is a big difference between that thought and reality. The kind of battles that Jones experienced while at Georgia is what gave him the ability to already impress in the NFL, but it also means he understands how to grow within a professional-like environment.

When the San Francisco 49ers come to Pittsburgh on the opening day of the 2023 season, the team that takes the field will have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they deserve to be right where they are. It isn't about putting a player into a situation with the hopes he can keep up, it means selecting game-ready players and then developing those who need more time. Put his draft value and collegiate pedigree aside because for Jones to become an excellent, longtime NFL starter, he will need to grow into it first.

I don't envy the job Canada and Tomlin have before them, both with selecting their offensive tackles and putting a winning offense on the field each week. There are tsunamis of negative press going against Canada, but if he simply follows the talent and gets out of the way, maybe he won't be the hindrance in 2023 that a lot of Steeler Nation thought he would turn out to be.

Who will Matt Canada have starting at left tackle when the 2023 season kicks off? Comment below!

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