The Pittsburgh Steelers don't often need to worry about the NFL's annual coaching cycle. This is due to the consistency the organization has with its coaching staff, as well as Head Coach Mike Tomlin's inability to hire assistant coaches. His lack of a coaching tree means the Steelers never really have to worry about their coordinator's being poached by teams with coaching vacancies, but that is different during the 2025 offseason. Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith has been receiving interest from a couple teams, but it is still up in the air whether or not he will be back in 2025.
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Steelers' Arthur Smith looks on while coaching up his offense during a home game in Pittsburgh during the 2024 NFL season.
Head coaching jobs are coveted as there are only 32 in the world. Every year only so many vacancies open up, and each team will interview upwards of ten candidates for the job. Smith has interviewed for both the New York Jets and the Chicago Bears, which are two of the most talked about openings.
Fans that want to see Smith back in Pittsburgh for the 2025 season likely loved to see the Detroit Lions get upset by the Washington Commanders on Saturday. Detroit has two of the most popular head coaching candidates as their coordinators, and now that they are eliminated both Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson are eligible to accept jobs within the next week.
With the Commanders upset win over the Lions, the NFL’s coaching cycle has been dramatically sped up. Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson now can interview and take head coaching jobs as soon as this week.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 19, 2025
Only one head coach has been fired so far during the 2025 coaching cycle, and it was the most obvious connection of them all as Mike Vrabel signed with the New England Patriots. Other than that, Johnson and Glenn are considered to be the first dominos to fall throughout the rest of the coaching cycle.
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Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson speaks to members of the media at the team's facility.
The Lions' early postseason loss has accelerated the coaching cycle. Johnson is the most coveted coaching candidate for the second offseason in a row. In 2024, he decided to return to Detroit, but that is not expected to happen again. Johnson is firmly in play for the Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, and Jacksonville Jaguars. Meanwhile, Glenn is in play for the Jets, Jaguars, Raiders, and the New Orleans Saints.
Either candidate is a top option for one of the jobs Smith is being considered for, so the fanbase should have an idea of whether or not Smith will be returning in 2025 sooner rather than later. It should be expected that Smith would lose out on either job to one of the premier candidates, however some organizations consider Smith's head coaching experience to be valuable.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith celebrate a win post game during the 2024 season.
Steelers' Arthur Smith Is A Very Intriguing Head-Coaching Candidate
Many fans in Pittsburgh were probably surprised when they found out that Smith was seriously being considered for head coaching jobs again. The offense wasn't spectacular during the 2024 season, but he did what he could with what little talent he had. His head coaching experience is seen as an asset. Smith coached the Atlanta Falcons for three seasons, going 7-10 in all three seasons and never once making the postseason. He didn't have a quality starting quarterback in any of those years, which organizations will take note of.
Another factor that makes Smith attractive to some organizations is the way he dealt with the quarterback situation in Pittsburgh. He was able to find success with both quarterbacks that started games for the Steelers, which is especially important to a team like the Jets who have no stability at the position.
What do you think about Smith being a head coach again? Do you think he will get one of the jobs? Let us know in the comments below!
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