Report: Steelers to Hire Arthur Smith as Offensive Coordinator

MOBILE, Ala. — The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to hire former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith as their next offensive coordinator, according to a report by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Smith was the third and final person to interview for the position, when he met with Mike Tomlin, Omar Khan and Art Rooney II on Sunday. Rooney said on Monday that Tomlin and Khan may continue interviews at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. but that turned out not to be the case. Both Khan and Tomlin were in attendance for Tuesday’s Senior Bowl session.

Smith just fired by the Falcons after three unsuccessful seasons as their head coach. In three years running the show in Atlanta, Smith went 7-10 in each season, finishing no better than third in the NFC South.

He also was unable to find a develop a quarterback to replace franchise mainstay Matt Ryan. Smith brought Marcus Mariota, who had been with him with the Tennessee Titans, to Atlanta and also used a third-round draft pick on Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder and brought in free agent Taylor Heinicke, but none proved to be an answer at quarterback.

Smith also faced criticism for his usage of the Falcons’ skill position players, with former first-round picks Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson failing to reach their full potential.

Though things did not go well in Atlanta with Smith as the head coach, he had a strong stint as an offensive coordinator with the Titans. Smith started in Nashville as a quality control coach in 2011 and worked his way up to offensive line and tight ends coach before taking over as offensive coordinator in 2019.

The Titans finished 10th and scoring and third in rushing in his first season, leaning on a strong offensive line and the talents of running back Derrick Henry. That provided the blueprint for the franchise, as they finished fourth in scoring in 2020, all the while having a below-average passing attack.

That philosophy would seem to jive with the way the Steelers have been operating under Omar Khan and Andy Weidl. Last offseason, their top free agent acquisition was guard Isaac Seumalo and they used their first-round draft pick on tackle Broderick Jones. The Steelers also added blocking tight end Darnell Washington, and with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren already in the fold, appear to have the makings of a potentially dominant rushing attack.

The potential for that kind of offense is what made Smith an attractive head coaching candidate, though the offensive line part of the equation never seemed to materialize for him in Atlanta.

The Steelers prioritized experience in their search, Rooney said on Monday, and also sought someone they felt could fit their vision for the Pittsburgh offense and succeed with the players currently on the Steelers roster.