Report: Steelers hiring former Falcons coach Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator

The Pittsburgh Steelers have their new offensive coordinator. The Steelers are hiring former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith to run their offense, according to Tom Pelissero.

Smith was previously a long-time assistant with the Tennessee Titans, prior to becoming the Falcons head coach. He was the offensive coordinator for the Titans in 2019-20, before being hired by the Falcons ahead of the 2021 season.

Arthur Smith was the head coach in Atlanta from 2021-23, before being fired at the conclusion of the 2023 season. He finished 7-10 in all three seasons in Atlanta, including this past season when he was let go.

The Falcons hired Raheem Morris to replace Smith as head coach.

The Steelers were looking for a new offensive coordinator after ranking No. 25 in total offense in the NFL this past season. Pittsburgh averaged 186.1 passing yards and 118.2 rushing yards in 2023.

During his two seasons as an offensive coordinator, the Titans ranked No. 12 and No. 3 in total offense. 

Smith will be in charge of a Steelers unit that has some talented young players but that struggled with consistency in 2023. Pittsburgh is also still uncertain about its long-term future at quarterback after Kenny Pickett had an up-and-down season this past year.

One of the biggest goals for Arthur Smith in 2024 will be to get the Steelers running game going, behind running backs Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris.

Steelers President Art Rooney II says ‘we’ve had enough’ of losing in NFL playoffs

Arthur Smith has the task of helping the Steelers have some playoff success, beginning in 2024.

have been good enough in recent years to make the NFL playoffs. However, once they do get there, they’ve also consistently lost. It’s a problem that team President Art Rooney II is looking to address.

Recently, Rooney explained that he’s had enough of losing in the playoffs and emphasized that there’s urgency in fixing the problem.

“We’ve had enough of this,” Art Rooney II said. “It’s time to get some wins. It’s time to take these next steps. There’s some urgency there, for sure.”

2003 was the last season the Steelers had a losing season. However, things have gotten tougher in recent years in a highly competitive AFC North that sent three teams to the playoffs for the 2023-24 NFL season and the last time Pittsburgh actually won the division was 2020. Worse than that for Pittsburgh, the team’s last playoff win came during the 2016 game, before the team fell to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.