Arthur

Smith

Smith is also reportedly a candidate for the Bears job after helping the Steelers reach the playoffs in 2024. It’s worth noting that his previous head coaching gig with the Falcons didn’t work out very well, and the Pittsburgh offense didn’t exactly shine at the end of the season. Still, Smith obviously has some heat, and seems like a strong candidate to ultimately end up coaching the Jets in 2025.

Smith has done a solid job in Pittsburgh this year, even if it remains memeworthy how often Cordarrelle Patterson will pop up in a big moment. The former Falcons head coach has three consecutive 7-10 years under his NFL belt as a head coach in Atlanta, as well as three highly-regarded years with the Titans and now Steelers as an offensive coordinator. The Bears are reportedly trying to find both a “leader of men” type as well as someone who can spark Caleb Williams’ development.

It didn’t take long for Smith to repair his image after a disappointing first stint in Atlanta. Smith, who interviewed with the Jets twice before landing his head coaching role with the Falcons in 2021, worked wonders with the quarterback duo of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields during his first season in Pittsburgh and had the Steelers off to a 4-2 start in Fields’ six starts of the season. Smith’s ability to make the most out of two castoffs was bound to draw the interest of a handful of teams this offseason. While things look impressive on the surface, we can’t overlook the fact that his offense still ranked 26th in overall success rate (40.7 percent) and 20th in EPA per play. The spreadsheet nerds would likely advise against the hiring of Smith, but there’s no denying the league views him in a favorable light. He’s a near lock to draw more interview requests.

Smith had a “preliminary call” with UNC after they let go of head coach Mack Brown. Smith attended UNC and spent a year on the staff as a graduate assistant before making his way to the NFL, making it a natural fit. He is currently reviving Russell Wilson’s career as the Steelers’ play-caller and will get some consideration for NFL head coaching vacancies in the offseason. Even if he doesn’t get a new job this time around, Smith is one more good season away from a full image rehab and a second shot as a team’s boss.

Smith said of the call, “I appreciate it, love that place. But that’s not my focus. I mean, I’ve got one of the best jobs in football right now.” The former Falcons head coach is in his first season with the Steelers and is currently leading an offense on an 8-3 team. It doesn’t sound like Smith is interested in going anywhere any time soon, although it wouldn’t be surprising if the 42-year-old wanted another crack at a head coaching gig at some point down the line.

As we now know, Smith didn’t take the role, instead landing the offensive coordinator job with the Steelers. ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio later learned that part of the reason Smith didn’t take the job with the Jets was “because the role wasn’t clear.” On the one hand, it’s not surprising to learn that the Jets sought out an assistant for Hackett, whose struggles have been amplified since his one-and-done season as head coach of the Broncos in 2022. Hackett was brought in last season at the request of Aaron Rodgers, who has continuously stuck by the OC due to their previous relationship at Green Bay. Hackett, along with head coach Robert Saleh, both enter this season on the hot seat after any hopes of success in 2023 were dashed by Rodgers’ Achilles injury. Assuming Rodgers is healthy and playing well, Hackett should be fine. However, if things start to go awry, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Saleh turn over play-calling duties to someone else. The Jets’ first training camp practice is scheduled for July 24.

The Steelers’ current offensive coordinator is the Falcons’ former head coach, Arthur Smith. He will get a chance to debut Pittsburgh’s new offense with Russell Wilson or Justin Fields at the helm against his former team. Meanwhile, Kirk Cousins will likely make his Falcons debut in this game, after signing a four-year, $180 million deal with the team. Though Atlanta took Michael Penix Jr. in the draft, Cousins is still expected to be the starter for this season. His return off an Achilles injury, along with Arthur Smith’s new offense, will be the storylines for this game.

Rooney said he was encouraged by strong finishes to the 2023 regular season for both Warren and Harris, as the Steelers determine whether to pick up Harris’ fifth-year option. “I really feel good about having a two-headed monster, if you will, at running back,” Rooney said after the Steelers hired former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator. “Two different style running backs, both very capable, and I think — with the right offensive line — can provide a real foundation for success going forward.” Smith, meanwhile, has orchestrated some of the run heaviest offensive schemes in the NFL over the past five years, both in Tennessee as an OC and in Atlanta, where the Falcons were third in rush EPA in 2022 before a catastrophic rushing performance in 2023. While making an OC hire based on two running backs — one of whom (Harris) is entering his age-26 season — is certainly a questionable move, Smith is sure to give hefty workloads to Harris and Warren in 2024.

Just when fantasy managers thought they were done with the maddening Smith, he returns as Pittsburgh’s OC. He’ll surely bring his massively run-heavy ways to the Steelers, with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren likely seeing significant rush volume in Smith’s run-first, antiquated offense. Kenny Pickett, meanwhile, will have vanishingly little chance of developing in Smith’s offense. Look for receivers from George Pickens to Diontae Johnson to be frustrating fantasy options as Smith establishes the run in any and every game script.

According to Rooney, who the team brings in as its next offensive coordinator is entirely up to Tomlin; Rooney added that he and GM Omar Khan share ideas regularly with Tomlin. The Steelers recently interviewed former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith, whose days as the Titans’ offensive coordinator (2019-2020) helped land him his first head coaching gig, but other candidates have also been vetted, including Texans QB coach Jerrod Johnson. Who the Steelers bring on as their next offensive coordinator could go a long way in determining Mike Tomlin’s fate with the team beyond 2024. Tomlin is in the final year of his contract and will be desperate to roll out an improved team after last year’s 28th-ranked offense did anything but carry them to their 10-7 record.