Steelers Insider Names A Few Dark Horse Interesting OC Targets Via Kyle Shanahan's Coaching Tree

The Pittsburgh Steelers shockingly fired Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada over a week ago. No one thought the team would actually do it, seeing as how it marked the first time since 1941 that the team fired a coach in the middle of a season. Many thought the firing would take place during the bye week and when that didn't happen, it seemed like Canada would stay through the end of the year.

We have gotten just one game with Eddie Faulkner and Mike Sullivan replacing Canada's duties. The initial signs were encouraging, as the offense had one of their best performances in years against the Cincinnati Bengals. We are still months away from the team deciding who will be the next offensive coordinator, but there are already some interesting names to consider. In his chat on Thursday, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette threw out a few new names of his own.

"The current [San Francisco] 49ers staff under Head Coach (and de-facto offensive coordinator) Kyle Shanahan has Klint Kubiak with the title of 'Offensive Pass Game Specialist' and Brian Griese as quarterbacks coach, both of whom stand out to me as intriguing candidates."

Batko named several other names under the tutelage of Shanahan and even Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams. Kubiak and Griese were the two that stuck out to him, and they come from one of the more dynamic offenses in football. Klint Kubiak is the son of Gary, who was a head coach for the both the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans. As Batko points out, Kubiak actually has some experience as a play-caller back in 2021 with the Minnesota Vikings.

Griese played 11 seasons at quarterback in the NFL, including a Pro Bowl campaign in 2000 with the Broncos. He was with ESPN as a college football commentator for awhile before joining Shanahan's staff last year. Shanahan has built one of the best, most creative offenses in the NFL in San Francisco. As a result, teams are going there to find their next coordinator hires.

Will The Steelers Look Outside The Organization For Their Next OC?

Since the firing of Canada, there have been several names thrown out. Given his connection to Pittsburgh and overall play-calling experience, former quarterback Byron Leftwich is one that will pop up quite a bit. Multiple former Steelers players have advocated for him as the team's next offensive coordinator, one that the team has to make the right call on. It will be crucial for them to get an innovate play-caller in the building with Kenny Pickett at quarterback for at least another season.

Leftwich could be that guy for Pickett, given his extensive experience playing quarterback in the NFL. In the past, the Steelers do tend to look in-house for coordinator hires. Canada was a hire that was made outside of the organization, so the front office may be reluctant to go that same route again. That gives both Sullivan and Faulkner a chance to become the next coordinator in Pittsburgh.

Sullivan, the quarterbacks coach in Pittsburgh for the last three years, has a close relationship with Pickett. He did quite well in calling plays against the Bengals and if those successes continue, he could be a legitimate option. Still, if the team does want to go outside of the organization, the Shanahan coaching tree would be smart. Several coaches under his tree have gone on to become successful head coaches in the NFL. It would be the unconventional route for Pittsburgh, but Kubiak and Griese could be dark horse names to watch moving forward.

Who do you want the Steelers to hire to become their next offensive coordinator? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!

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