It was only a matter of time before Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive coordinator Arthur Smith popped up in head coaching speculation.
Smith, a former three-year head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, would love to secure another top job in the NFL, and a new vacancy has just become available. The Tennessee Titans have just fired their head coach, Brian Callahan, after two years of disappointing outcomes. Maybe this is the perfect landing spot for Smith.
He served as the Titans' offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2020. He did well enough in that position to earn a head coaching gig with the Falcons. After being fired from his previous role, he joined the Steelers in hopes of earning another shot at a head coaching job. A new report by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network has Smith listed as a top candidate.
"The Titans fired coach Brian Callahan after a rough tenure that didn't even last two years. Among the names to watch in what should be a coveted job are former OC Arthur Smith and OC Matt Nagy (along with many others)."
Rapoport isn't claiming that Smith is a shoo-in for this job, but the connections make him a favorite. Pittsburgh's offense hasn't been fantastic with his play calling, but he has stabilized a rather toxic group in recent years. With Aaron Rodgers at the quarterback spot, maybe he can help drag Smith back into relevancy around NFL circles and get head coaching interviews.
Pittsburgh Steelers could see OC Arthur Smith emerge as Titans top candidate
Smith is now entering his second season as the play caller for the Steelers' offense. He has been off to a terrific start this year, which has seen his offense start to blossom. With Rodgers at the controls, things are starting to find a groove. Pittsburgh is enjoying a 4-1 start to the campaign, and things seem bright for its future. They control the division right now.
Success often creates opportunities for coaches, but Mike Tomlin has struggled to build a strong coaching tree. It remains one of his weaknesses as a head coach. Smith appears to be his only shot at potentially seeing a head coach come from his staff. Then again, it's not like Tomlin molded Smith into the coach he is. He hired him after he had several successful years coaching elsewhere.
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Smith would be a great fit with the Titans as he would blend an offensive mind to help develop their young quarterback, Cam Ward. Their franchise's focus moving forward should be on developing the young signal caller into a bona fide franchise quarterback.
Smith may not be the best offensive play caller in the NFL, but he has proven he can develop talent and make his offense competitive.
Tennessee has much to prove with its next hire, as the team is currently struggling. Smith failed as the Falcons' head coach, but he could have learned a thing or two from Tomlin in Pittsburgh. Sometimes the first opportunity doesn’t work out, and the Titans might see that if they take Smith away from the Steelers. He makes a ton of sense if he continues to produce.