Firing Matt Canada Still Real Possibility for Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are waiting for the right opportunity.

PITTSBURGH -- The anxiousness surrounding the news of Matt Canada and the Pittsburgh Steelers' decision at offensive coordinator is growing by the day. 

A week removed from the end of the season, many fans are starting to expect Canada to return for another year in Pittsburgh despite poor offensive numbers for a second-consecutive campaign. 

The thought of the Steelers moving on from Canada may not be dead yet, though. 

The NFL will officially allow teams to begin in-person interviews on Tuesday, Jan. 17. From there, the first wave of hires will come and a few offensive coordinator candidates will be taken off the open market. 

Then, the headlines will settle, and the rest of the league will patiently wait for the playoffs to end and more candidates to begin their process in the interview circuit. That's where the Steelers could jump in. 

Head coach Mike Tomlin made it very clear the Steelers will move slower than most teams this offseason. They were a bit shocked to not make the playoffs and therefore took some time to settle before making decisions or diving too deep into the evaluation process. 

That leaves the door open for Pittsburgh to wait for the second wave of hires before jumping in on an offensive coordinator. 

Now, there are two things to consider with the Steelers. 

First, they aren't in any hurry. This team can wait as long as they want and won't miss too many candidates for the job. And until the postseason ends, the full roster of coaching hires won't be out there for everyone to speak to as much as they would like before a hire. 

Second, they aren't going to hire just anyone. 

The Steelers' fallback plan is Canada. They won't fire an OC to replace him with another question mark they don't feel confident in. So, if there isn't a name worth hiring, they won't hire anyone and will remain with Canada for another season. 

It's a cautious approach but one that makes sense for a team dealing with a second-year quarterback and a young, developing offense. It doesn't mean Canada is a guarantee of has more than a year left in Pittsburgh. It also doesn't mean they'll for sure keep him around even after waiting this long to make a move. 

Moving at a snail's pace will leave room for interpretation, but it doesn't mean anything is certain just a week into the offseason. 

Make sure you bookmark All Steelers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Devin Bush Hints at Next Team

Steelers Biggest Unspoken Need

Report: Still High Chance Steelers Fire Matt Canada

Steelers Rookie Stock Change

Steelers Have Easy Decision at ILB

• Subscribe to the All Steelers YouTube Channel
• Follow All Steelers on Twitter: @si_steelers