I could be missing something, but it seems like people were in a big hurry to flee Matt Canada's offense.
It also seems like exactly nobody is going out of their way to endorse Mason Rudolph as Ben Roethlisberger's replacement.
Let's take the second topic first, because the quarterback position is kind of important.
My thought around this time last year was that if the Steelers were truly excited about Rudolph, they'd move on from Roethlisberger. It was the perfect time, really, to break in a guy the Steelers were bragging about after drafting him 76th overall in 2018.
They absolutely saw Rudolph as Ben's eventual successor.
"It was really a simple choice," general manager Kevin Colbert said after the '18 draft. "We haven't seen a group (of quarterbacks) like this, in all honesty, since 2004 when we were able to take Ben. Mason had first-round grades on him. We thought he could be an eventual starter."
Four years later, it's time. Or so you'd think. It's just that I haven't heard one person say anything resembling, "We're ready to ride with Mason. He's waited long enough."
The best Mike Tomlin could summon was, "Right now, all options are on the table." He spoke of Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins as equals in the quarterback battle.
Team president Art Rooney II also had his opportunity to endorse Rudolph but instead said this: "You have to take advantage of whatever opportunity you have to get the best quarterback you can find. ... We'll evaluate all the options we have."
CBS asked running back Najee Harris, "Who do you want to be the next quarterback in Pittsburgh?"
"Ah man. You know, there's names that passed my mind," Harris said. "Deshaun Watson's always in there. Aaron Rodgers, obviously I like. ... Even guys like, if we get Jimmy [Garoppolo], I like him too. Just a guy who wants to come in here and compete."
NFL Network asked Cam Heyward a similar question.
"Whoever wants to come out this way, be in the cold a little bit, we got something for you," Heyward said. "We got some pieces on offense. Black and gold does look good. It goes with everything. An old guy or a young guy. We're looking for somebody to come in and lead the front on offense. ... I'm glad I don't have to make those decisions, but hopefully we get the guy we need."
T.J. Watt sang a similar tune.
"We'll see what happens at the quarterback position," Watt told the Associated Press football podcast. "I trust the guys upstairs to be able to bring a guy in that can win us some games."
Here's hoping Rudolph rented and didn't buy, but if at some point he leaves, he'll have plenty of company.
The Steelers have lost three offensive coaches since the end of the season. Oh wait, one of them left during the season. That was alleged rising star line coach Adrian Klemm, who took off with a playoff spot still in the balance.
His replacement, veteran coach Chris Morgan, drew rave reviews from Tomlin and figured to be next in line. He took off, too, heading for Chicago, and we still aren't sure what happened to receivers coach Ike Hilliard, who simply disappeared from the team website.
We do know that Tomlin has now had five line coaches in the past five years.
We also know that Canada makes more pit stops than Kyle Larson. The guy never stays anywhere for long, and it's getting to the point where you have to wonder why. He wasn't exactly chummy with Pat Narduzzi, and things got frosty fast with then-LSU coach Ed Orgeron when Canada went there, before the two "mutually agreed to part ways" after one horrific season — the one right before Joe Burrow took over and led LSU to a national championship.
After the split, nola.com reported that Canada and Orgeron had "a signed agreement in which neither can speak poorly of each other."
Tomlin easily could have fired Canada after the ridiculous offense the Steelers put on the field. It went five straight games without a first-half touchdown — first time they'd done that since 1940 — and amazed people with several ludicrous play calls.
I'll just pick one: the dump pass six yards behind the line on 4th-and-10 from the Bengals 11. Who could forget that Tomlin tried to explain by saying, "We didn't really have a play, because we ran out of plays."
Apparently, Canada's playbook was a Post-it note.
But here we are, six months later, and the head coach has doubled down on his embattled coordinator. The thinking has to be that Canada was saddled with Roethlisberger, not the other way around, and now can run his preferred offense. He's getting some of his preferred coaches, too, it would seem. New receivers coach Frisman Jackson worked with Canada at two college stops.
Backing Canada is a huge risk, if you ask me. Maybe the biggest Tomlin has taken.
Here's hoping they haven't already signed an agreement stating they can't speak poorly of each other.
