Steelers' Arthur Smith Is A Potent Secret Weapon To Attract Top Quarterback Talent

Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin is consistently at or near the top of the totem pole as the person modern NFL players would most like to play for if they were choosing. When Kevin Colbert was the general manager, the Steelers rarely utilized this fact and did not make big moves in free agency. Colbert moved on after the 2022 NFL Draft, and Omar Khan was promoted to general manager. Khan has embraced free agency in a way that Colbert never did. 

The aptly nicknamed Khan Artist has made big splashes by signing Russell Wilson, Patrick Queen, and DeShon Elliott. They all cited the Steelers culture Tomlin is responsible for creating as a big reason they elected to come to Pittsburgh. Khan is maximizing Tomlin's magnetism to attract free agents and is demonstrating he is not afraid to change the roster and sign them. 

Albert Breer from Sports Illustrated's Monday Morning Quarterback, joined The Herd With Colin Cowherd on Fox Sports on Monday. Breer and Cowherd discussed the Justin Fields trade that Khan pulled off over the weekend. The veteran NFL reporter suggested that another Steelers coach, the newly hired offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, could already be paying big dividends for Pittsburgh. 

"This is my take on it, Colin," Breer said. "After everything that happened in Chicago the last three years, [Fields] probably valued stability. There is no more stable place in football than Pittsburgh. The offensive thing is an issue, but remember they are bringing in a new coordinator, Arthur Smith, who is coming over from Atlanta. He was in Tennessee all those years and once resurrected Ryan Tannehill's career."

As Breer has suggested, the Steelers' decision to hire Smith so quickly may have had an unintended consequence as the catalyst for attracting one of the best available free agent quarterbacks in Wilson. The former Atlanta Falcons head coach could not find the right fit to play quarterback during his tenure, and it led to his dismissal. He is, however, still a highly respected offensive mind. 

Tomlin, who has been criticized for his inability to attract top coaches, may have pulled off the best coaching hire of his career with Smith. Mark Schlereth, a game analyst for Fox Sports, has been touting that if anyone can restore Wilson's career, it is the Steelers' offensive coordinator. Fields' trade to the Steelers, as Breer points out, should thrill him about the opportunity to work with a competent coordinator who understands his job is to fit his offense to his quarterback, not the other way around. 

"Who built different types of offenses for different types of quarterbacks and made it work around guys' skill sets," Breer continued. "Let's say it doesn't work with Russell Wilson. Say it doesn't go well for the first four, six, eight weeks of the season, which is certainly possible. Justin shows in practice I can really do it. Now you got a coordinator who can really build an offense for that type of quarterback and a player who is coming into this and the bar is sort of low."

Steelers' New Offensive Coordinator Has Developed A Reputation That Attracts Top Quarterback Talent

Pittsburgh's previous coordinator, Matt Canada (or Lord Voldemort to some, whichever you prefer), had a reputation for being pompous and difficult to work with. He bragged about his quarterback's inability to audible. Smith is the polar opposite and has earned the reputation of putting players in the best position to succeed. He has a solid philosophical foundation that fits what the Steelers want their offense to look like in 2024.

Pittsburgh's new offensive coordinator has also repeatedly demonstrated the flexibility to adjust his offense to make his quarterback as comfortable as possible. This worked brilliantly for Ryan Tannehill, but produced mixed results with Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, and Taylor Heinicke. In fairness to Smith, the lack of talent had more to do with the mixed results than his schemes. 

It is a new day and a new way of doing business in Pittsburgh. Khan and Andy Weidl are restocking a heavily depleted roster with exciting talent. Tomlin seemingly silenced critics by making the best coaching hire of his career, and a Steelers coordinator has become a top draw for quarterbacks looking to rebuild their reputations and careers. It is a great time to be a fan of the black and gold.