The Pittsburgh Steelers have reportedly finished their search for a new offensive coordinator by hiring former Atlanta Falcons Head Coach Arthur Smith. The 41-year-old former college offensive lineman at North Carolina will be challenged to get more out of a Pittsburgh offense that, despite some of the high-end weapons in recent seasons, has fallen flat. Noted Mike Tomlin supporter Rich Eisen thinks that Smith is the perfect hire by the Steelers.
AP Photo
Former Atlanta Falcons coach speaks at a press conference on Dec 17 after his team lost to the Carolina Panthers.
Tuesday, Eisen spoke on his show about the development that Pittsburgh had hired the former Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator. He largely praised the decision, which Steelers President Art Rooney II emphasized was Tomlin's to make.
"Love the hire," Eisen said emphatically. " I think it is one hundred percent the type of individual... Those who think Mike Tomlin doesn’t think outside of the box from his own realm, I don’t know that there’s a connection between the two."
The last two times that Tomlin made a change at offensive coordinator (excluding the promotion of Eddie Faulkner to the interim job when Matt Canada was fired), he made hires from within, to the dismay of the fan base. First, it was promoting Quarterbacks Coach Randy Fichtner in 2018 and then doing the same with Canada before the 2021 season when Fichtner was let go.
As Mike DeFabo pointed out on X, there are some connections with Smith from former Steelers coaches, but there doesn't seem to be a clear line from Tomlin to Smith.
Even though Arthur Smith is an outside hire, he had numerous connections to the Steelers.
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) January 30, 2024
He began his NFL coaching journey in Tennessee, where he worked with former Steelers assistants Mike Munchak, Ken Whisenhunt and Mike Mularkey.
The connection with Mike Munchak is an interesting one to monitor. The former head coach of the Titans has been out of the NFL since 2021 when he parted ways with the Denver Broncos after serving as their offensive line coach for three seasons. He is potentially eyeing a return to the league, and his connections with Smith could lead him back to Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Eisen said that Smith represents a clear upgrade from Canada, and most recently Mike Sullivan and Faulkner (whom he referred to as the "two-headed monster" supposedly coordinating and calling plays towards the end of the season). He pointed to the success Smith had as the coordinator for the Titans, specifically that of star running back, Derrick Henry.
"Arthur Smith knows how to dial up some offense I think," he said. "This is a bona fide offensive coordinator of significance. By the way, this was the coordinator when Derrick Henry was dominant. So he knows how to use a big back that will come hit you, and that’s what Najee Harris is, right?"
Henry exploded for 1,540 and 2,027 yards in his two respective seasons under Smith in Tennessee, while leading the league in rushing attempts and rushing touchdowns in both years. Najee Harris has also had some workhorse seasons in Pittsburgh. In his rookie year, 2021, he led the league in total touches. Pittsburgh is likely banking that Smith can get similar production from another tough Alabama product.
Steelers Go With A Relatively Known Commodity In Smith Hire
In the team's hunt for a new offensive coordinator, they did some poking around on some potential up-and-coming coordinator candidates. The team had an interest in Zac Robinson before he took a job with Smith's former team. They've poked around on Houston Texans Quarterbacks Coach Jerrod Johnson. While both have intriguing resumes tied to the coaching and development of quarterbacks, neither has play-calling experience or has previously led top rushing offenses in the league.
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Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud works in practice under the close eye of Quarterbacks Coach Jerrod Johnson.
Eisen stressed that even though one of those hot young up-and-comers might be enticing, particularly with their backgrounds and trying to get the most out of Kenny Pickett, getting a known commodity in Smith is a much safer bet.
The Steelers are likely not done building its offensive staff for the 2024 season. A candidate like Johnson could still be an option for a passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach-type role. Getting the new coordinator hired now, though, will set up the team and allow them to start getting to work on the offensive game plan for 2024.
Do you agree with Eisen that the team got the offensive coordinator hire right? Comment below!
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