Steelers' Mike Tomlin, Kenny Pickett, respond to 'Fire Matt Canada' chant

If you were watching the game on Monday night, perhaps you heard the crowd at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh chanting "Fire Canada," late in the game: Well, Mike Tomlin, Kenny Pickett, and others were on the grounds and they had to talk about it: "I Appreciate Their Passion" "Man, I appreciate their passion, Coach Tomlin […]

Rob Gregson — NFL News Writer

Sep 20, 2023 10:39 AM EDT

If you were watching the game on Monday night, perhaps you heard the crowd at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh chanting "Fire Canada," late in the game:

Fire Canada chants pic.twitter.com/9E91QR4Ppm
— Kyle Garay (@kylecgaray) September 19, 2023

Well, Mike Tomlin, Kenny Pickett, and others were on the grounds and they had to talk about it:

"I Appreciate Their Passion"

"Man, I appreciate their passion, Coach Tomlin told reporters in response to if he heard the chant. "I share their passion. We all do. Man, we love our fans, man. They inspire us. They challenge us. It's an awesome relationship, man. We don't run from challenges, we run two challenges. This is a sports entertainment business. It is our job to win and thus entertain them. And so, you know, we don't begrudge them for that. We want them to be fat, sassy, and spoiled. It is our job."

Now, you can agree or disagree with Tomlin's viewpoint on the fans, but I speak for the majority of the fanbase in saying that through two games this season, and the seasons prior under Canada, that chant may be warranted.

"I Didn't Hear It"

"I didn't hear it," Kenny Pickett told reporters when asked about the chant before changing the subject. And while that may seem like a white lie (maybe it is) I'm sure the last thing Pickett was worried about in a one-score game at home in the fourth quarter, while trying to avoid an 0-2 start, was what the crowd was chanting.

"We Don't Pay Attention To That"

"We don't pay any attention to that,” starting center Mason Cole told reporters after the game. “It wasn't the plays called. Without looking at the film, I think it was just a lack of execution again. For whatever reason, the past two weeks, we haven't executed to the level that we know we can. So, we’ve got to get that fixed.”

Taking a stand for his offensive coordinator, Mason Cole was the only offensive starter that stuck up for Canada after the game, with WRs George Pickens and Calvin Austin III saying they either didn't hear it, or couldn't make it out.

But regardless of who heard it, who didnt, or what it means, the problem is clear. Anytime you win a close game, in primetime, against a division rival, and your players and coaches have to answer about chants for someone's job…

That's a problem.