The Falcons fired Arthur Smith to begin the offseason following three consecutive 7-10 seasons, but Atlanta’s former head coach landed on his feet.
Mike Tomlin hired Smith to be the Steelers offensive coordinator, a position previously held by Matt Canada, who was the first Pittsburgh coach fired in-season under Tomlin.
Tomlin wants to play a certain brand of football, and Smith’s offense is a perfect fit for that. It will especially resonate with the Steel City’s fan base. Despite Falcons fans’ displeasure with Smith, his track record as an offensive coordinator is impressive.
He had Ryan Tannehill playing like a top 10 quarterback, with Derrick Henry leading the league in rushing in back-to-back seasons with the Titans en route to a top seed in the AFC at one point.
It’s why his services were quite sought after this offseason. Dianna Russini reported earlier in the offseason that more than seven teams had shown interest in Arthur Smith, and one, in particular, was just revealed.
The Jets spoke with Smith about “possibly being part of the playcalling process” as New York’s offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett faces criticism, Dianna Russini of The Athletic said on the Scoop City podcast.
“Nathaniel Hackett is entering his second season as the New York Jets’ offensive coordinator, but the team had some conversations this offseason about a new approach to offensive play-calling — and Aaron Rodgers was made aware.
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith was one of those coaches that the Jets talked to about possibly being part of the play-calling process, as reported on the first episode of The Athletic’s new NFL podcast, Scoop City.”
Smith may not be what Falcons fans wanted, but I can promise he’s better suited to call an offense than Hackett. In Green Bay, Hackett was the third most important person in the building for that offense that netted Aaron Rodgers back-to-back MVPs. Rodgers and Matt LaFleur deserve the bulk of the credit, but Hackett was rewarded with the offensive coordinator position with the Jets because Rodgers likes him.
As the Falcons move forward with Raheem Morris and Zac Robinson, Arthur Smith will look to rebuild his brand under Mike Tomlin, and we’ll all be treated to a reunion as the two teams face off to open the 2024 campaign.
—
Photographer: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.