Arthur Smith addresses Steelers fans’ biggest fear amid head coaching buzz

In the midst of the NFL’s top 14 teams preparing for the postseason, those beginning their offseason are trying to sort out their coaching staff. Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is one of many names garnering interest to land one of the league’s eight available head coaching jobs.

Smith, who was the head coach for the Atlanta Falcons for three seasons before coming to Pittsburgh, reportedly has an interview scheduled with the Tennessee Titans, where he once served as offensive coordinator.

While many Steelers fans are somewhat unfazed by the idea of Smith leaving the team for his next job, there’s naturally some room to worry that the offensive play-caller could be too tied up with his own future to focus on what the Steelers need from him now. Smith did his best to put those fears at ease on Thursday.

Arthur Smith makes it clear that his priorities lie with the Pittsburgh Steelers' playoff run

“The only thing that matters is my current job. It’s like I try to tell people all the time, ‘Live in the present.’ If you have perspective, you have life experiences, you’re wasting time worrying about the future,” Smith said. “All my focus is on our guys, these guys, and anything I take away from that, I’m not doing my job. All I care about is the Steelers and our players.”

Of course, Steelers fans will have to take him at his word. After all, it’ll be difficult to judge whether Smith was distracted or not based on the inconsistent offensive performances from Pittsburgh all season long. The challenge of facing DeMeco Ryans’ Houston Texans defense won’t help diagnose his preparedness either. That is, unless the Steelers play to the height of their capabilities.

Nonetheless, Smith’s offenses have struggled dating back to his time with Atlanta. His system has finished with below-average rankings in most meaningful categories, so it’s a bit of a surprise to Steelers fans that Smith has garnered much interest at all.

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Then again, the Titans were the last franchise to see what Smith can do with the right pieces in place on offense. Smith helped shape the early portions of Derrick Henry’s career down in Nashville, and considering the rough state of the franchise since they fired Mike Vrabel, the Titans might appreciate the familiarity.

Steelers fans have eyes for other, younger, offensive minds to take the Steelers into the future, so again, watching Smith leave won’t be too much of an issue. Hopefully, though, Smith’s words ring true, and his offense is ready to do its part in getting the Steelers their first playoff win since the 2016 season, Monday night.