Steelers' New Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith Was Heavily Pursued By AFC Foe During 2024 Offseason

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been struggling on offense since before Ben Roethlisberger's elbow injury during the 2019 season. The offense looked the worst it has ever been in 2023, which ultimately led to the firing of Matt Canada. Going into the 2024 season, there is a good bit of optimism surrounding Pittsburgh's offense. This is thanks to a revamped quarterback room, some solid additions on the offensive line, and a new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith.

Smith has been the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons for the last three seasons, and didn't see much success as he was fired after 2023. He was one of the best offensive coordinators in the league during his two seasons with the Tennessee Titans however, and he is now in Pittsburgh in the same role. NFL insider Dianna Russini shared on her new podcast, Scoop City, that the New York Jets were in talks with Smith before he was hired by the Steelers.

"Nathaniel Hackett appears to have lost his fast ball. So the Jets went out this offseason, and just started to poke around, make some phone calls. Arthur Smith, the current Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator, was one of those coaches that the Jets were talking to about possibly bringing in to be part of the play-calling process here with Aaron Rodgers."

The Jets 2023 season was a disaster due to Aaron Rodgers barely taking a snap before suffering a season-ending injury. He was reunited with his former Offensive Coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, but the two didn't get to work together much due to the injury. The Jets' offense struggled all season long, largely due to poor quarterback play, but the play-calling was also scrutinized. 

The Jets had no plans to move on from Hackett completely, as that would likely create some tension with Rodgers. Rodgers and Hackett were together with the Green Bay Packers for three seasons, and Rodgers has always been a full supporter of Hackett. New York was likely inquiring with Smith about being some sort of consultant, or an assistant head coach who would have some say in the offensive game planning.

Rodgers is the oldest starting quarterback in the NFL, so bringing in a face that he isn't familiar with along with a new offense probably wouldn't go well. It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks. However, Hackett's offense needs to show some improvement, especially with a healthy Rodgers. In 2023, the Jets ranked 29th in points and 31st in yards, which is slightly below the Steelers in both categories.

Pittsburgh made the necessary changes to improve the offense, like bringing in Smith. It's hard to imagine Pittsburgh doesn't show some kind of improvement on that side of the ball. With the Jets, it's a different story. Rodgers is 40 years old and coming off a serious Achilles injury; it will be interesting to see if he plays like his old self and how much better he can make Hackett's offense.

Steelers Will Take On The Jets During The 2024 Season

The Jets will travel to Pittsburgh in Week 7 to take on Smith and the Steelers. New York has a stifling defense and should present a big challenge for Smith. The unit ranked 3rd yards allowed and 12th in points allowed during the 2023 season, and there is a chance the Steelers offense could really struggle against them if they can't play better than they did in 2023.

It was well known that Smith had plenty of coaching opportunities to choose from before deciding to come to Pittsburgh. However, he wants to be a head coach in the NFL. Learning under Mike Tomlin was a key factor in Smith's decision. Tomlin is the longest tenured head coach in the NFL, and has a long resume of consistency and success. He is likely the best option for Smith to learn from for his potential future endeavors as a head coach.

What do you think about the Jets going after Smith during the 2024 offseason? Let us know in the comments below!

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