4 reasons Steelers are making a mistake keeping Matt Canada
By Tommy Jaggi
2. Matt Canada will hold back Kenny Pickett
We need to be careful not to try to pin the blame on Matt Canada for everything. I wasn’t the biggest advocate for Kenny Pickett to begin with, and the rookie QB (as well as Mitch Trubisky) had a big hand in the lack of success on offense this year. While I don’t believe that Pickett has the ceiling to be a top-tier quarterback in the NFL, I still think that Canada’s offense is holding him back from his maximum potential.
By trying to protect his quarterback, Canada is actually setting him up for failure. The offense is designed to limit risks and allow the quarterback to make simple reads. Canada’s patented speed roll-out is a perfect example. By doing this, the Steelers limit themselves in terms of big-play potential.
What does it matter if Kenny Pickett only threw one interception from Week 8 to the end of the season if this team still had a below-average offense during that span? I would rather increase the risk of certain throws if it maximizes Pickett’s potential and the upside of this offense.
If Canada continues with the same game plan in 2023, I fear that it could be really bad for Pickett’s career path. Pickett has never thrown more than 1 touchdown pass in a game 5.5 adjusted yards per attempt ranked near the very bottom of the league.