If one is to believe recent Steelers news, it seems all but certain the Steelers will jettison offensive coordinator Matt Canada before the 2023 season.
Certainly, ditching Matt Canada will not come soon enough to many critics of the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator. However, moving on from Canada is one thing. Finding a quality replacement is another issue entirely. Analysts have their theories, and Fans will make their opinion known. There will be no shortage of suggestions, ranging anywhere between Duce Staley, Frank Reich, Ben Roethlisberger, or someone’s 95-year-old grandmother.
Regardless of who they hire, it would be hard for them to do much worse than Canada. Nevertheless, they don’t want to rush the selection either. If they make the right choice, it could reinvigorate the Steelers offense for 2023. Furthermore, it would serve the Steelers well to find an independent thinker who will not be a yes-man for Mike Tomlin. The one critique for Tomlin, if there is one to be had, is that some have argued he has had a tendency to run off decent assistant coaches. True or not, perhaps the Rooneys might want to be more involved in seeking a replacement for Canada.
While the rumor mill of potential replacement candidates has been circulating for months, new potential candidates have been thrown into the mix in the last month. Hence it all comes down to the route the Steelers wish to go. Someone with a long resume as a coach or an ex-player trying to establish himself as a coach.
That said, some names who will never get hired will be thrown out there, such as Byron Leftwich, who will likely get a head coaching job long before the Steelers can get him as their offensive coordinator. Thus here are the five potential candidates that should make the Steelers shortlist for their offensive coordinator in 2023.
Steelers could replace Matt Canada with Mark Whipple
Perhaps a bit of a stretch, however, not to the degree it may sound. Whipple does have a tenured history of coaching in the NFL for several NFL teams, including the Steelers, and was Pitt’s offensive coordinator with Kenny Pickett.
Whipple was the Steelers quarterback coach under Bill Cowher from 2004-2006. He helped develop Ben Roethlisberger as a rookie. Later he was Cleveland’s quarterback coach from 2011-2012. As an offensive assistant, he also coached under Andy Ried for the Eagles in 2008.
Following his stint in the NFL, he went to Pitt University and was the offensive coordinator from 2019-2021. As offensive coordinator, he helped develop Kenny Pickett. On the surface, this would sound like a rational choice to have on your shortlist.
That said, Mike Tomlin chose to let Whipple go when he became Head Coach in 2007. Hence a larger question looms if Whipple does make the Steelers shortlist. Would Tomlin bring back a coach he let go? More than likely, Tomlin wanted to build his own team in 2007, so the decision to let Whipple go is understandable. Nonetheless, it’s no secret that running off decent coaches has been a criticism of Tomlin, true or not.
If Whipple makes the shortlist in 2023, it could be an instance of the Rooney’s. Otherwise, it’s hard to see him come back, regardless if it’s a choice that makes sense.
Steelers could replace Matt Canada with Nathaniel Hackett
The Bronco’s dismissal of Nathaniel Hackett by the Steelers gave them another name to add to their shortlist. He would come with an impressive resume. He was an Offensive coordinator for the Bills in 2013, and In 2014 he served as the offensive line and assistant head coach for Jacksonville. In 2016 Hackett then went from quarterbacks coach to interim offensive coordinator. Due to a poor record, his mentor and Jacksonville head coach Doug Marrone fired him.
In 2019 he became the offensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers under head coach Matt LaFleur. Then in 2022, The Denver Broncos hired him as their head coach, and once in that post, things turned into a disaster amid poor play from quarterback Russell Wilson and questions of poor game management.
Despite his failure as a head coach, the Steelers could and should consideration by the Steelers for him as a potential choice to replace Matt Canada. Adding Hackett to the Steelers coaching staff would be a clear upgrade over Canada, given his previous NFL experience.
While Whipple would be a credible choice considering his relationship with Kenny Pickett, Hackett would just be a total upgrade. Even if he failed as a head coach, it’s still hard to see him doing worse than Canada as offensive coordinator.
Steelers could replace Matt Canada with Jim Caldwell
Jim Caldwell would be a fascinating choice assuming he wants the Steelers top play-caller job. He has a long history of success in the NFL as a coach on many levels. He started as the Colts quarterback coach under Tony Dungy. When Tony Dungy retired, he was promoted to the head coaching position. That was in 2008. The Colts eventually fired him in 2011; however, he was a scapegoat to some degree in that Peyton Manning missed most of the season to injuries.
Thirteen days later, he became the Ravens quarterback coach, and they beat the 49ers in Superbowl XLVII. The following season he became the Lion’s head coach. In 2018 the Lions fired him after a poor season which proved to be contentious at best. Considering his successor, Matt Patricia performed worse. Considering he was the first Lions Coach to ever leave the team with a winning record since Joe Schmidt.
After leaving the Lions, he has had several interviews for head coaching vacancies in the NFL. He has interviewed with the Packers and Browns, Brian Flores hired him as assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach, but before the season started, he took a leave of absence to address health issues.
The short of everything is that he comes with an excellent resume, and the Steelers would be hard-pressed to find a better candidate to run their offense instead of Matt Canada. The larger question is would he take an offensive coordinator position over a head coaching position?
Steelers could replace Matt Canada with Bobby Slowik
Bobby Slowik would be a peculiar addition to the Steelers, yet it could be a selection that could pay dividends. He did serve as an assistant head coach for the Commanders at one point. However, his career with the 49ers proves more interesting as a coach. After leaving the Commanders, he became an analyst for Pro Football Focus until 2016, then joined the 49ers in 2017.
What’s interesting is that in 2017 and 2018, he was the 49er’s defensive quality control coach. In 2019 and 2020, he became an offensive assistant. And then, in 2022, he became the 49er’s Offensive passing game coordinator. What is an offensive passing game coordinator? Well, it’s essentially a shared coordinator position with Chris Foerster, who handles aspects of the rushing game.
Perhaps why considering Slowik might not be a bad idea. He has handled half of the 49er’s offense, and you can not deny he has not had success with the receivers the 49ers have, such as Brandon Aiyuk, Samuel Deebo, and George Kittle.
His success in San Francisco could make one salivate at what he could do with Kenny Pickett, George Pickens, and Pat Freiermuth. That will be a decision the Steelers have to make, but he could be a valuable addition to the Steelers.
Steelers could replace Matt Canada with Frank Reich
If Jim Caldwell is not an option for the Steelers, then Frank Reich should be an option. Reich suddenly became an available option when the Colts discharged him as a head coach.
How could you argue with hiring Reich? He was a dynamic backup quarterback to Jim Kelley and, at one point, had engineered the largest comeback in NFL history over the Oilers in the payoffs when they won 41-38 in overtime.
He later became a coach serving under Tony Dungy and Ken Whisenhunt, both with connections to the Steelers as either a player or coach. He later reunited with Whisenhunt in San Diego and then became their offensive coordinator when Whisenhunt moved on to Tennessee. In 2016 he served as Eagles’ offensive coordinator helping them win Superbowl LII. In 2018 he returned to Indianapolis as their head coach until he was unceremonially discharged earlier this season and replaced by Jeff Saturday.
The Steelers would be hard-pressed to find a better option to replace Matt Canada. He has coached under other coaches tied to the Steelers and has a track record of success. It would be hard to imagine the Steelers not placing him on their shortlist. They would be hard-pressed to find a candidate with a better resume than Reich, and it’s partially surprising the Steelers didn’t fire Canada when he became available.
It’s hard to say what direction the Steelers will go at the season’s end, but they have credible options to replace Canada. Will the person who gets the job be on this list or be one of the other names that may be tossed around, like Brian Johnson, Duce Staley, Joe Brady, pep Hamilton, or an off-the-cuff choice like Ben Roethlisberger? It will be interesting to see who wins the position and how it affects the Steelers in the 2023 season.