Steelers Losing Arthur Smith Could Be Blessing In Disguise Following Report Out Of Washington

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had many reports surrounding their offensive coordinator come out as the 2025 season comes to a close. After a rough head coaching tenure, Arthur Smith has seemingly revived his reputation while working in Pittsburgh. His name has been connected to a bunch of other teams as a potential head-coaching candidate. What helps his case is the fact that there are very few high-level offense-driven minds available for that role, which means he will likely get plenty of calls. His work in the Steel City has impressed many teams. 

On that same note, it may be tough for the Steelers to find an offense coordinator to replace Smith with defensive minds taking over the league lately. However, there may be one option that would just fall right into their laps. Dianna Russini reported on a strange piece that may take place in the NFC.

"Washington has also had conversations about potentially moving on from Kingsbury even if he doesn’t get a head-coaching job," Russini wrote. "Some in the building say there’s been a disconnect between [Kliff] Kingsbury and general manager Adam Peters. When was the last time we were watching to see if an offensive coordinator was going to get fired while he was also preparing for head coaching interviews? We’ll see how this shakes out."

Like Smith, Kliff Kingsbury has also taken up an offensive coordinator gig to try and fix his reputation after he struggled hard as a head coach. With how strong the Washington Commanders' offense was in 2024 with then-rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, his name has started floating around again. That dynamic offense helped take the team to its first NFC Championship Game since the 1990s. 

Injuries destroyed the Commanders' hopes in 2025, as guys were dropping like flies, including Daniels suffering a gruesome-looking elbow injury. Despite the great first season in Washington there was the aforementioned report where there is supposedly a "disconnect" from the executives and the offensive coordinator. What seemed like a great mind may be on the move once again.

There's no doubt that Kingsbury was not good as a head coach, but like Smith, he may be more comfortable as an offensive coordinator. In fact, he could be the forward-thinking mind that the Steelers desperately need to allow its offense to reach its full potential. If Smith does get a head coaching job, the team could hire Kingsbury and potentially get an upgrade at the position. 

Steelers Need Help In 1 Crucial Area That Kingsbury Did Well

The Steelers will most likely be drafting a quarterback at some time in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, there is not a ton of optimism for this class of passers, especially with Pittsburgh drafting where it normally does: around the high teens and low 20s (most likely). On top of that, Head Coach Mike Tomlin has never had a quarterback develop properly in his 19-year tenure as head coach, aside from Ben Roethlisberger.

In 2024, Kingsbury was more successful in developing Daniels and turning him into a quality starting-caliber quarterback than the Steelers have with any prospect since Roethlisberger, who was drafted three years before Tomlin was hired. Roethlisberger has been retried since 2021, and Pittsburgh still has no plan for who will fill his shoes. Kingsbury can help with that.

Whether the Steelers use a first-round pick on a high-end quarterback prospect, use a mid-round pick on a project, or just hope that Will Howard develops properly, Kingsbury could be the guy to elevate them and finally give the team stability at the position for the first time in a few years. Smith did well with what he had in front of him, but there could be more with the current Commanders' offensive play-caller.

What do you think about the Steelers hiring Kingsbury if Smith leaves? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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