Arthur Smith's background as a play-caller could land him a new job in 2024.
The former Falcons head coach is interviewing with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday for their vacant offensive coordinator position, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported, per a source. The team has since announced the completion of the interview.
Smith spent the last three seasons as head coach in Atlanta, where he led the Falcons to identical 7-10 finishes from 2021-2023 while directing offenses led by the likes of Matt Ryan, Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke. Quarterback was the biggest hang-up for Smith's Falcons, who failed to find stability under center and suffered accordingly.
Smith earned the job in Atlanta because of his work in Tennessee, where he served as offensive coordinator and guided Ryan Tannehill to AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2019. Under Smith, the Titans finished 12th in total offense in 2019, and jumped all the way up to a tie for second place in 2020, placing him on the radars of clubs seeking new head coaching options.
Smith's candidacy in Pittsburgh makes plenty of sense. The veteran coach would provide an ideal leader for a Steelers offense that lacked consistency under former offensive coordinator Matt Canada, and escaped the bog of offensive irrelevance only after the Steelers fired Canada during the 2023 season.
With 2024 shaping up to be a pivotal season for quarterback Kenny Pickett -- who could find himself in a battle with Mason Rudolph for the starting job, should Pittsburgh retain Rudolph this offseason -- pairing him with an experienced play-caller would be a wise move.
