Cameron Heyward Detailed How Steelers Poor Passing Game Must Improve Quickly

The Pittsburgh Steelers finally made the move that many expected would never come in 2023. Unimpressive Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada was relieved of his duties on Tuesday morning and will spend his Thanksgiving relaxing rather than preparing for a Week 12 AFC North showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals. The offense won't tear up the old playbook and start a new one from scratch as December is right around the corner, but a change in the building was certainly needed. Running backs coach, Eddie Faulkner will hold the title of offensive coordinator while quarterbacks coach, Mike Sullivan will call the plays.

This was definitely the biggest news to come out of the NFL on Tuesday. It's impossible to ignore the elephant in the room when you're a player, so team captain and defensive lineman, Cameron Heyward used his podcast, Not Just Football to address his thoughts on the situation. He began his analysis by saying the move isn't something to cheer for and he will never celebrate something like that.

With that said, he did have some critical comments for quarterback, Kenny Pickett, and the passing game. He acknowledged that the rushing attack has been starting to get on a roll, but he couldn't say the same thing about the offense.

"You're able to run the ball. That is a big thing going forward. But, our passing game's gotta improve. Maybe it's a philosophy of when we throw it, how we throw it, where we're looking and so we'll see what happens, but the good thing is you got a running game that's really starting to find its way."

While complimentary of the running game, he didn't have anything great to say about passing the football. He also mentioned that there is growth that needs to take place. It's hard to not believe he is specifically thinking of Pickett when saying that. One could certainly get that idea. Pickett is the guy, at the end of the day, who is leading the offense on a weekly basis.

Now, it will fall on Pickett to perform with new leadership in the offensive room. Canada can be looked at as the first scapegoat, but if the starting signal-caller doesn't show improve throughout the final seven games of 2023, the Steelers may be looking for a long-term solution at quarterback and offensive coordinator in the 2024 offseason.

Heyward, as a captain, would never specifically call out a teammate in the public eye, but him calling for a serious improvement from the passing game is sort of an indictment of Pickett's poor play. The Steelers 2022 first-round pick has a total of 13 touchdowns passes in 23 career games played and only three of those have seen him pass for more than 250 yards.

There is entirely too much talent on Pittsburgh's offense to be putting up terrible numbers week after week. The move to fire Canada is more than just a production decision, however. The locker room had to start getting extremely tired of the constant questions and concerns regarding Canada. Internally, sometimes it makes sense to make a move like this to give the group a jolt of energy. It may have come later than expected, but Head Coach Mike Tomlin had no choice.

Steelers Must Learn Who Pickett Really Is Before 2024 Offseason

There is no way that Pittsburgh's leadership can be completely bought into the notion that Pickett is the future at the quarterback position for the franchise. The remainder of the 2023 regular season (and potentially playoffs) should give the Steelers the sample size they need to make a decision on whether or not it's necessary to bring in more serious competition for Pickett in 2024.

What do you need to see from Pickett to be excited for him and his future with the team? Let us know in the comments below!

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