In the midst of a disappointing season offensively, the Pittsburgh Steelers fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Although their offense improved a little and they snuck into the playoffs, the Steelers still fell short, being eliminated by the Buffalo Bills following a let-down performance.
Now, the Steelers have found their answer. It’s being reported that Pittsburgh is set to hire former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith as their new offensive coordinator. How does the hire look?
Steelers Hiring Arthur Smith as New Offensive Coordinator
The Steelers finished the 2023 NFL season with the 25th-ranked offense, averaging 304.3 yards per game and scoring 31 touchdowns.
Canada was fired on Nov. 21, 2023, after having been with the team since 2020. His firing was the first time since 1941 that the Steelers made a mid-season coaching change.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Steelers are hiring Smith as their new OC. Smith was fired by the Falcons on Jan. 8 after having been Atlanta’s head coach since 2021.
Smith’s firing came after the Falcons finished the season 7-10 and third in the NFC South. His career head coaching record is now 21-30 with no division titles or playoff appearances.
Despite a disappointing 2023 season, the Smith-led Falcons had the ninth-most rushing yards in the NFL in 2023 and the 17th-ranked offense overall, averaging 334.3 yards per game and scoring 32 touchdowns.
Prior to his time with Atlanta, Smith had been a part of the Tennessee Titans organization since 2011. His first major break came in 2019, though, when the Titans promoted him to offensive coordinator to replace Matt LaFleur.
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In Smith’s first season as the Titans’ OC, the team saw their highest-scoring team in 16 seasons. Derrick Henry, Ryan Tannehill, and Jonnu Smith all saw career years at the time during the 2019 season.
Steelers owner Art Rooney told reporters on Monday that he wanted an experienced play-caller. Pelissero added that Smith, who’s just 41 years old, had interest from several teams.
Additionally, Smith oversaw the league’s best rushing offense in 2020. A big part of that was thanks to Henry, who surpassed the 2,000-yard mark, rushing for 2,027 yards and 17 touchdowns on 378 attempts.
With Smith now in Pittsburgh, he’ll have a new challenge in working with players such as Kenny Pickett, Najee Harris, Broderick Jones, Jaylen Warren, and George Pickens.
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