This week, Arthur Smith’s name surfaced in relation to coordinator positions; but, no teams have yet been linked to the three-year Falcons head coach. One is at least right now.
Tom Pelissero of NFL.com says that Smith will meet with the Steelers on Sunday to discuss their OC opening. This is Smith’s first affiliation with a franchise since he was fired by the Falcons on Black Monday at 12:01 a.m. ET. The most recent employer of Smith recently meddled in Pittsburgh’s OC hunt, and Mike Tomlin will shortly assess the experienced play-caller’s suitability for his squad. The Steelers are getting ready to bring in an outside offensive coordinator (OC); this is something they haven’t done in this century until Todd Haley (2012).
Zac Robinson was asked for an interview by the Steelers’ offensive coordinator, but he chose to commit to the Falcons. Following his previous Rams colleague to Georgia was immediately connected to Robinson when Atlanta selected Raheem Morris over Bill Belichick. The Falcons hired the well-liked OC candidate as a result of that. Steelers interview QB coach Jerrod Johnson of the Texans and offensive coordinator Thomas Brown of the Panthers.
Although Smith’s status has declined since taking the hot seat in Atlanta, he was once a highly sought-after HC candidate. Smith selected the Falcons, making him the Ben Johnson of the 2021 coaching carousel. Although Smith was unable to turn the club around, dead money continued to pile up and he instantly had the team at 7-10 in back-to-back seasons while Atlanta undertook a rebuilding effort. Considering all they had spent in the squad by then, the Falcons’ 7–10 record in 2023 seemed a little different. The Bears and Saints were the teams that Smith lost badly, which led the Falcons to terminate him.
Smith, 41, has spent the last five seasons calling plays for the NFL. His two years as Matt LaFleur’s replacement as the Titans offensive coordinator drew a lot of attention. Following a 2-4 start to the season, the Titans rerouted to the 2019 AFC championship game. Smith received the proper recognition for bringing Ryan Tannehill’s career back to life. Only Kurt Warner has surpassed Tannehill’s 9.6 yards per attempt in a season since the 1950s; the two of them are now tied for ninth place all-time. Derrick Henry was also let loose by Smith, and the dominant running back won two rushing crowns when Smith was the Tennessee play-caller.
Thanks in large part to Marcus Mariota, the Falcons had the third-best running offense in the NFL in 2022. However, while Mariota and Desmond Ridder were the starting quarterbacks, they frequently had passing issues. This season, the Falcons’ scoring offense was rated 26th. Smith’s previous history with quarterbacks is noteworthy, especially in light of the Steelers’ renewed focus on Kenny Pickett’s development throughout the summer. But considering Smith’s background, it would be surprising if he wasn’t given another opportunity as a coordinator.
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