Steelers Still Hiring Frank Reich Absolutely The Right Back Up Plan For 2023

Whether the Pittsburgh Steelers have made the correct decision on keeping Matt Canada for a third season to try and make his offense work at the NFL level will have to wait until the team hits the field in 2023. If it doesn't end up working, they'll need to be ready to make a change. As 10 teams, including three that made the postseason, embark on searches for new offensive coordinators, one Steelers insider says the team needs to ensure they've got themselves covered should things go south in a hurry in 2023.

Steelers' Kenny Pickett (#8) and offensive coordinator, Matt Canada work on the game plan in preparation for the New Orleans Saints in Pittsburgh, PA. | Credit: Abigail Dean/Pittsburgh Steelers

Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette outlined the organization could be making the right decision not to wade into the waters of the off-season offensive play-caller carousel, but will need to have a plan in place should the move in the right direction over the second half of the 2022 season not materialize in 2023:

"Whatever the reason, regardless what anyone thinks of Mike Tomlin’s decision, the move to keep Canada for a third season should not merely be accepted as the correct one, even if it might appear to be the most logical one," the veteran reporter stated on Friday.

"It could even turn out to be the right move. But there is nothing wrong with having a certain measure of wariness with the decision; in fact, there should be. The Steelers shouldn’t just accept the notion Canada is the right person to lead their offense, not after what they have watched the past two seasons. They need to be prepared in the event that it happens again. Before it’s too late."

 

How the Steelers Can Plan For Disaster

Pittsburgh Steelers Senior Defensive Assistant/Linebackers Coach Brian Flores participates in the Organized Team Activities (OTA's), Tuesday May 24, 2022 at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. (Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers)

One of the ways the organization could potentially give itself a safety net would be to look back into its own playbook and add an experienced name to the offensive staff similar to when it added former Miami Dolphins head coach, Brian Flores to the staff before this year:

"Hire a recently fired head coach and make him a senior offensive assistant. Bring in Frank Reich. Bring in Kliff Kingsbury," he said. "Bring in an experienced coach to help, to be a fresh set of eyes. Just in case."

Another name the Steelers are rumored to be keeping an eye on is Byron Leftwich, a former backup quarterback with the team in 2008 and then from 2010-2012. That familiarity with  Tomlin and his experience as the offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay working alongside Tom Brady should definitely make him a candidate for a senior offensive assistant position, aka the backup coordinator.

The writer expanded that the team cannot afford to mess this decision up with all the talented young players on the offense:

"The Steelers have to be ready in the event nothing will change in 2023," he said. "They have to be prepared to react if the offensive deficiencies of the past two seasons rear their ugly head in September. Before it’s too late. Before they have to rely on the New York Jets winning a game to get them into the playoffs. Not making a change to an offensive system that has averaged 19.1 points the past two seasons is one thing. Expecting it to change without making changes is still another."

 

So, Steeler Nation, do you think they need to add a Leftwich, Reich, or Kingsbury-type coach to the staff for a 'break glass in case of an emergency' situation? Who would be your choice for that role? Let us know in the comments below or on social media.

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