The Pittsburgh Steelers made a truly historic move on Tuesday when they announced that they had relieved Matt Canada of his duties as offensive coordinator. While the majority may have wanted Canada to be fired, no one thought that it would become a reality, especially the way Mike Tomlin refused to place accountability on his coaching staff. Now that the dust is starting to settle, it seems that the Steelers players found out about Canada's dismissal the same way that we all did: through social media.
Benjamin B. Braun / Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth is known for his quiet demeanor, but the Matt Canada firing caught him off guard.
After the Steelers dropped an important divisional game to the Cleveland Browns in Week 11 of 2023, the frustration was at an all-time high. Not only did Pittsburgh give up a pristine opportunity to put themselves in a great spot for an AFC playoff run, they did so with barely a whimper on offense.
#Steelers Pat Freiermuth on what message the OC change sends pic.twitter.com/DF24P262eb
— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) November 22, 2023
Despite that underwhelming showing and the loss that was the result, Pat Freiermuth didn't expect anything drastic to occur. Once a seemingly quiet Monday had passed, Tomlin made the move in a very Tomlin-esque manner and removed Canada from his duties without informing the players. On Wednesday morning, ESPN Steelers reporter Brooke Pryor spoke with Freiermuth in the Pittsburgh locker room to find out exactly how the team learned about the massive change in their coaching staff. Pryor asked Freiermuth if he felt as though a change was on its way following the Week 11 loss to the Browns.
"I didn't think so. I didn't feel that as if something were going to happen, and I found out on social media."
If it felt as though that quote was coming from a shell-shocked person, that is because Freiermuth and the rest of the players in the Steelers locker room were not privy to whatever lead-up brought about Canada's firing. It's one thing when you play for those franchises in the NFL whose staff seems to be in a revolving door of personnel turnover, but that isn't the case in Pittsburgh, thus the stunned reactions.
While from outside Pittsburgh, the decision to leave the players out of the process might seem cold or harsh, that is how Tomlin sees his responsibility. During Tomlin's press conference on Tuesday following the news that Canada had been let go, he made it a point to leave the blame at his feet. This wasn't a move that Tomlin wanted to make; it was a move that made him feel as though he also failed as a head coach, and so the burden fell to him alone.
Chris Adamski / Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Former Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Coordinator, Matt Canada.
Steelers' Freiermuth Was Saddened By Canada's Firing
Just because the cheers from Steelers fans across the world could be heard whenever the news broke that Canada was no longer the offensive coordinator of the Steelers doesn't mean that every single person was overjoyed at this change. There is a heavy weight that is on the players for this move, and they all know and understand that on a deep level. The players and coaches are reflections of each other, so this doesn't put anyone in the best light.
Fred Vulch / AP
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth took the Matt Canada firing personally, and he will need to channel that into purpose for the remainder of 2023.
Whenever a coach is fired, it's rarely due to that singular person's actions. It's a responsibility that is shared throughout the organization for the communal failure that occurred. Freiermuth felt that on Wednesday morning, whenever he was speaking to the media, and if his words didn't make it clear that he was struggling with the news, the pain in his eyes did the job. As fans, we can all celebrate this moment because it means that a certain amount of pride can return to the team, but there isn't a personal connection to the man leaving that the players may have - well, at least Freiermuth.
The former Penn State tight end spoke to Corey Crisan of DK Pittsburgh Sports on Wednesday and opened up about the impact that Canada's removal has had on him personally.
"Obviously, I'm not going to cheer for it. It's sad. He's a great guy. Me and Canada have a great relationship, and obviously you're never going to celebrate someone losing their job. He has a great family, great guy, so it's definitely sad. But we've got [to] keep pushing forward and keep going with a big division game coming up."
There are always multiple sides to every situation, and this is the perfect example. Did Canada need to be fired? Yes. The truth is that this came many weeks after it should have happened. There are no bonus points given simply because it finally became a reality. However, will this spread holiday joy throughout the Steelers organization? Hardly. The purpose here wasn't just to ensure that the offense would be in reliable hands; it was to send a shock through the system of the team and to let them know that they are also on the hook for 2023's failures so far, even if Canada was the one who took the brunt.
How many of the final seven games left in 2023 will the Steelers win without Matt Canada? Comment below!
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