Could the Pittsburgh Steelers make Jon Gruden their next offensive coordinator?
Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada has been under fire as the second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett and the offense have failed to show major improvement. If Canada is fired at the end of the season, Pittsburgh will be in the market for a new OC.
According to Steelers reporter Greg Dulac, coach Mike Tomlin could consider hiring Gruden to fill the potential void. Dulac also clarified it's too early for any certainty on who Tomlin might pick, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
The pairing could make sense since Tomlin and Gruden go way back. While Gruden was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tomlin was the Bucs defensive backs coach from 2002-2005 before becoming a defensive coordinator. Though Gruden hasn't had much success as an NFL head coach since winning the Super Bowl back in 2002, he has long been known as a premiere play-caller.
If Tomlin were to hire Jon Gruden, it would be a controversial decision. Gruden resigned from the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021 after leaked emails revealed that Gruden had sent offensive slurs and messages back-and-forth with former Washington general manager Bruce Allen. These messages included photos of topless women without their consent along with racist and homophobic slurs.
Beyond the controversy of potentially hiring Gruden, Matt Canada still has time to prove himself. While Canada's offense hasn't looked great, the Steelers are still 3-2. Given the patience of the Pittsburgh organization, it would be shocking for them to let Canada go before the season ends, especially since they have a winning record. Tomlin has also clarified that they have no intention of letting Canada go soon.
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