Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin's Quick Decision To Hire Arthur Smith 'Could Go A Long Way' Towards 2024 Success

The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a furious flurry of moves to remake their roster in 2024. Omar Khan said goodbye to Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph, and welcomed Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, and Kyle Allen to the roster. It was a stunning display by Khan, but he was not nearly done. 

The Steelers general manager handed out the biggest free agency contract in franchise history to what they hope will be the final answer at inside linebacker to Patrick Queen. Khan traded malcontent Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers for Donte Jackson, filling one hole, but creating another. He also signed a tone-setting physical safety in DeShon Elliott and, for good measure, added Cameron Johnston in a massive upgrade at punter. However, their most significant offseason move might belong to Mike Tomlin.

Tomlin's ability to hire assistant coaches and lack of a coaching tree has been well-documented during his 17 years as the Steelers head coach. When he promised change after his fifth consecutive playoff loss, there was a fair amount of doubt that it would be delivered. The hiring of Arthur Smith, the first candidate that met their stated criteria according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer, Brian Batko, might have been the best decision Pittsburgh made this offseason. 

"To me, the biggest factor you hit on is Arthur Smith replacing Matt Canada. That could go a long way,"  Batko replied to a question about the Steelers' 2024 outlook. "I'm not as over the moon as you when it comes to the personnel acquisitions, other than Patrick Queen. DeShon Elliott should be reliable, but I wouldn't call him a game-changer. Donte Jackson doesn't move the needle much for me. And, of course, the million-dollar question is Russell Wilson. I'm not sold."

Batko might not be over the moon about Khan's restocking of the roster, but pending the arrival of a new center, tackle, and wide receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft, it is hard to argue that when the final roster picture is complete, it won't be an improvement. Khan has proven during his short tenure to be an aggressive and competent team builder. 

It could be argued that anyone who stepped into the Steelers' offensive coordinator job with three new quarterbacks would be a massive upgrade over Matt Canada's results during his two-and-a-half seasons. That reasoning sells Smith short, who has drawn rave reviews from analysts like Mark Schlereth, who claimed he was the only coordinator who could resurrect Wilson's career. 

Smith embraces heavy personnel and the run game, which is a perfect fit for what Tomlin and the Steelers want to do on offense. However, that should not be confused with a three-yard and a cloud of dust approach in 2024. In five seasons guiding NFL offenses as a coordinator and head coach, Smith has finished in the top 15 in points scored three times, including a second-place finish in 2020 as the Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator. 

It goes deeper than just scoring. The primary quarterbacks in Smith's offense have combined for over 15,000 yards passing in those five seasons, 102 touchdown passes, and 46 interceptions. Matt Ryan and Ryan Tannehill accounted for around 60% of the starts in his offense. Still, it is worth noting that the Atlanta Falcons version of Marcus Mariota, in 2022, not Ryan, helped Smith to his third top-15 finish in points, despite only passing for 15 touchdowns. 

Steelers' New Offensive Coordinator Could Sprout First Meaningful Branch On Mike Tomlin's Coaching Tree

Despite five years of experience as an offensive coordinator and a head coach, Smith is only 41 years old. He runs a very different offense from his peers, who are perceived as innovative offensive geniuses like Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan. Smith is three years older than McVay and three years younger than Shanahan. 

A meaningful run that vaults a woeful Steelers' offense into the top half of the NFL could produce two things that Tomlin desperately needs at this point in his tenure. The first and most important is playoff success. It has been seven long years since Tomlin won a playoff game. The second would be an actual branch on his coaching tree because Smith would be a hot commodity on the 2025 coaching carrousel if he delivers an effective offense that leads to playoff success.