The Pittsburgh Steelers are hopeful that Arthur Smith can improve one of the least successful offenses in the National Football League.
Smith will soon become the offensive coordinator for the Steelers, according to multiple sources who spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday. Since the agreement was not formal, the sources only agreed to remain anonymous when speaking with the AP.
Only a few weeks after being fired as head coach by the Atlanta Falcons after three consecutive 7-10 seasons, Smith would arrive in Pittsburgh. The Titans finished in the bottom half of the league in yards and points during Smith’s tenure, and the magic he was able to work while serving as offensive coordinator in Tennessee in 2019 and 2020—when the team finished second and then 12th in total offense—never appeared in Atlanta.
With an offense that ranked 25th in yards and 28th in points and didn’t show any real signs of life until the final three weeks when third-string quarterback Mason Rudolph spurred a late winning streak that helped Pittsburgh sneak into the postseason, he could get a fresh start with the Steelers, who managed a 10-7 record and a postseason berth.
While the team still has faith in starting quarterback Kenny Pickett, who had a difficult first full season before suffering an ankle injury in early December that forced him to watch from the sidelines, Pittsburgh needs to start getting “quality play out of the quarterback position going forward,” according to Steelers president Art Rooney II on Monday.
Additionally, Rooney expressed interest in bringing back the soon-to-be free agent Rudolph to face off against Pickett during training camp, complimenting Rudolph on his performance in the closing stages of the game.
Smith’s task with the player in center will be to devise a strategy that increases scoring in order to relieve some of the pressure on Pittsburgh’s elite defense. The Steelers have placed 21st or lower in scoring in four of the previous five seasons, which is one of the reasons the team fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada just before Thanksgiving. This was the team’s first head coach or coordinator to be fired during the season since World War II.
Around these players, one can construct. With Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris, Pittsburgh has one of the best running back duos in the league. George Pickens, a wide receiver, has displayed moments of brilliance, but they have been interspersed with moments of irrationality. Diontae Johnson, a wide receiver, is among the best tight ends and route runners in the league. When in good health, Pat Freiermuth is an excellent playmaker.
Rooney stated on Monday that a hire by the team was imminent. The team was getting closer to its man in less than twenty-four hours.
“We are eager for a new player to join and lead the team in scoring at a consistently high level while also helping our young players develop and perform,” Rooney stated.
Something that hasn’t occurred since the mid-2010s “Killer B” era peaked, when Le’Veon Bell was one of the league’s most productive all-around backs and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was hitting passes to Antonio Brown.
Despite the offense, the Steelers have managed to maintain their competitiveness, but they have also been exposed in the postseason. Pittsburgh has lost four of its last five playoff games by double digits.
Smith seems like a good fit for the Steelers’ aesthetic. The goal of Pittsburgh general manager Omar Khan and assistant general manager Andy Weidl is to assemble a physically strong team that enjoys cutting plays. In each of the two seasons that Smith called the plays, Tennessee made it to the postseason thanks to the system he was able to implement, which took advantage of the skills of Titans star running back Derrick Henry.