Colin Cowherd: Steelers Preposterous Loyalty To Matt Canada In 2023 Is "Holding The Franchise Back"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a core value as an organization to be loyal to their people. Since 1969, when Chuck Noll was hired as the head coach, the team has only had two other people, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin, fill the role. Popular national radio host Colin Cowherd says it is time for the franchise to loosen its values and cut bait with the third-year offensive coordinator, Matt Canada.

Cowherd launched into a miniature rant about the retention of Canada during his show, The Herd, on Tuesday while reviewing the Steelers' win on Monday Night Football in Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns. He started by saying that loyalty seems to be a term always associated with positive connotations, but in the case of Pittsburgh and the continued retention of Canada, it shouldn't be. 

"Sometimes you have to move off plans and you have to move off people like [Matt] Canada," he said. "It's holding the franchise back."  

Canada graduated from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator in 2021, and since then, the team has had a myriad of issues. Cowherd said the offensive line and the running game are the biggest problems that have plagued Pittsburgh since he took over. 

Through two games in 2023, he pointed out that they are averaging 4.3 yards per play, and when you look at the talent on the roster, it just doesn't add up. He pointed to George Pickens, Jaylen Warren and Pat Freiermuth as examples of skill players who should be helping this team to have a better stat line than 31st in the league in total yards. 

It's not like the organization has never been afraid to cut bait with coordinators when they found things that didn't work. Bruce Arians was incredibly well-liked, but when the late Dan Rooney felt the team needed a change to prolong Ben Roethlisberger's career, he was out. More recently, Randy Fichtner was let go after three seasons doing double duty as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.  

Cowherd also pulled out his favorite criticism of the team with a defensive coach in a defensive-minded organization, they will continue to fail. He said that Kenny Pickett faces too many obstacles in the organization with that focus to be successful. 

Steelers' Retention Of Canada Looking Like The Wrong Gamble For Pickett's Future

Steelers Team President Art Rooney II said back in January, there were two main reasons for retaining Canada. The first was the improvement the offense showed in the second half and the continuity for Pickett as he entered his second season. The preseason gave fans and media a fair bit of reason to expect things would go well for the unit in 2023. 

The first two games of the 2023 season have smashed those expectations, with Pickett looking underwhelming. Cowherd said he's regressed from the player he was for the team down the stretch in 2022. The 24-year-old has admitted that he has to be much better, but he still needs help from his coordinator to get there. He had one bright spot against Cleveland, throwing a 71-yard touchdown to Pickens, but he looks more like the rookie thrust into action without first-team reps than the confident leader of comebacks against the Las Vegas Raiders and Baltimore Ravens. 

The Steelers made a dangerous wager on the future of their organization by keeping Canada, who Cowherd said "was not an elite offensive coordinator in college." Cowherd said it's great to be loyal, and you want to be, but at some point, loyalty has got to end. The Steelers made a bet on Pickett being the future and now they need to realize that Canada isn't the best man to be helping him reach his potential. Cowherd said you need to be loyal to performance more than people and with two years of work, the performance of Canada is not enough to keep him around. 

Do you agree with Cowherd that the team is being overly loyal to Canada? Would you have fired him in the offseason? Comment below!

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