The Pittsburgh Steelers are entering a pivotal season in 2025. The front office and General Manager Omar Khan are coming off of an aggressive offseason where certain areas of the roster were upgraded, and many fans expect the team to perform better than it did during the 2024 season. The turnover on the roster is a bit concerning as it will be interesting to see how all of the new pieces are able to mesh together, but the talent is there for the 2025 season to a successful one in Pittsburgh.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin stands on the field and watches his team practice during a 2025 training camp workout at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Pittsburgh is going to be rostering the highest-paid defense in the NFL for the fourth consecutive season, so it should be expected for that side of the ball to perform well and be the reason the Steelers are winning games. However, the fan base wants to see an exciting and efficient offense for the first time in a long time. Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith is going to be at the center of attention when it comes to the execution of the unit, and his peers around the league recently shared some interesting thoughts on his offensive scheme according to The Athletic's Ted Nguyen.
"Coaches love the design of his run game and play-action concepts, but his drop back package leaves a lot to be desired," Nguyen wrote.
Other coordinators around the league love what Smith is able to do with the running game and how the play-action pass plays off of that, but the pure, dropback passing is where his offensive system runs into some issues. Hopefully this is an area Smith got a little bit more creative with during the 2025 offseason, and new starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers could also help in this area as he has had a ton of success throwing the ball throughout his career.
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Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) and Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith (right) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Fans in Pittsburgh shouldn't be too worried about the passing game. Rodgers is experienced and had plenty of success throwing the ball with the New York Jets in 2024, and that system was in complete disarray. He and Smith have spent time together throughout the 2025 offseason and have likely come up with a good system that both parties are comfortable with when it comes to the passing game. Hopefully it can be effective.
The odd part of the comment is that the other coordinators love the design of the run game in Pittsburgh. Smith is known for his ability to run the ball, which he was praised for during his time with the Tennessee Titans. However, the running game has struggled with the Steelers, which was evident during the 2024 season and seems to still be the case according to reports out of training camp. During the 2024 season, Pittsburgh was fourth in the league in rushing attempts, but fell outside of the top 10 when it came to rushing yards, which isn't ideal when it comes to efficiency.
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Steelers Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Steelers' Arthur Smith Should Excel As Long As He And Aaron Rodgers Stay On The Same Page
Rodgers and Smith are both big personalities, and Smith put that on display when he and Russell Wilson did not always get along during the 2024 season. It was reported that Smith did not like Wilson changing plays at the line of scrimmage. That can't happen between Smith and Rodgers, and it seems like the two are on the same page for the time being. Former players of Smith's have come out and predicted that things will go wrong between the two based on what they have learned from playing under the coach, but things seem to be a bit different with the Steelers.
What do you think about the comments on Smith's offense from around the league? Let us know in the comments below!
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