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Report: Bucs to Fire Steelers Top OC Candidate Byron Leftwich

The Pittsburgh Steelers first choice to replace Matt Canada is expected to hit the open market.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are rumored to be waiting for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to fire Byron Leftwich before letting go of current offensive coordinator Matt Canada. And according to one report, that's expected to happen soon. 

The Buccaneers' season ended with a first-round playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys, which opened the door for all moves to officially be made. Their first priority seems to be to release their OC, according to Scott Reynolds of the Pewter Report. 

"Tampa Bay won the NFC South despite averaging just 18.4 points per game in the regular season, which was the lowest in the division," Reynolds writes.

"Todd Bowles, who will return as the Bucs’ head coach in 2023, inherited Bruce Arians’ coaching staff when he stepped down on March 30 and named Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator as his replacement. Now, Bowles will have the chance to make a change at play-caller after the Bucs’ offense ranked 25th in the NFL in scoring this year."

According to Reynolds, the Bucs contemplated firing Leftwich during the season but held on until their year was over. 

Leftwich played for the Steelers in 2008 and remained a strong candidate to replace Canada throughout the season. After three years in Tampa Bay, that could finally become a reality. 

The Steelers have been very quiet about their decision at offensive coordinator but made it known that they will not rush the process in the early stages of the offseason. With a new candidate and one that may be their first choice, now on the market, that could change. 

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