The Pittsburgh Steelers hired Arthur Smith as their offensive coordinator for two main reasons.
The first reason is that he has playcalling experience, hence his tenure as the offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans from 2019 to 2020 and as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2021 to 2023. Art Rooney II said that experience was the deciding factor in hiring Smith.
The second reason is that the Steelers want to take the running game to the next level. Despite having one of the best one-two punches in the league with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, their running game has struggled in terms of total yards and touchdowns over the past five seasons. They ranked 29th in yards and 30th in touchdowns in 2019, 32nd in yards and 29th in touchdowns in 2020, 29th in yards and 30th in touchdowns in 2021, 16th in yards and 14th in touchdowns in 2022, and 13th in yards and 12th in touchdowns in 2023.
Swith is tasked with improving the rushing attack and has a proven track record of having one of the best-rushing offenses over the past five seasons with the Titans and Falcons. His rushing offenses ranked 3rd in yards and 3rd in touchdowns in 2019, 2nd in yards and 2nd in touchdowns in 2020, 31st in yards and 27th in touchdowns in 2021, 3rd in yards and 10th in touchdowns in 2022, and 9th in yards and 15th in touchdowns in 2023.
Having success in the running game doesn’t always lie on the shoulders of the running back but also on the offensive line and tight end. The Steelers understood the importance of having a reliable tight end who can run-block and signed one with experience in Smith’s offense.
