There is a new head coaching vacancy in the NFL after the New York Giants fired their top guy, Brian Daboll. He was with the franchise for four years, which included a lone playoff victory. It sheds light on how much the NFL changes its head coaches compared to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mike Tomlin hasn't won any playoff victories since 2017, but Daboll was the one being fired.
A gigantic search for the Giants' next head coach will commence, but that franchise has struggled to turn things around.
It appeared they might have a shot with the addition of former Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson, but that move ultimately flopped. The Giants turned to rookie signal-caller Jaxson Dart, but he has battled injuries, and the other young star, Cam Skattebo, is out for the season.
Other teams around the NFL have grown accustomed to firing coaches in quick order when things don't change. Daboll ran out of time, but it will lead to many different candidates earning interviews for his former position. One name who might not receive immediate acknowledgement, but could still land the job, is Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
Pittsburgh Steelers' Arthur Smith could become top HC candidate for New York
Pittsburgh's offense isn't exactly humming right now under the direction of Smith as their play caller. They have struggled with massive inconsistencies throughout the season, but the same could be said for the entire team. It's not all on their offensive coordinator, and for the most part, he has turned this offense around. It isn't elite, but he's provided more stability than Matt Canada ever did.
Daboll was an offense-minded coach, so it's possible that New York would prefer to stick with that in his replacement. Especially with Dart being a young quarterback, they would probably want someone who can help him progress into a franchise cornerstone. Smith has demonstrated an impressive ability to adapt his offense to different quarterback styles during his time in Pittsburgh.
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It's fair to provide mounds of criticism to Smith and his sputtering offense this season, but he deserves credit for what he's accomplished over the past season and a half. He has seen Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, and Aaron Rodgers as his starting quarterbacks. Those aren't the best options to work with, but he found ways to maneuver his play calling around those players.
He might not be the Giants' top candidate to replace Daboll as their next head coach, but Smith deserves an interview.
The Steelers' play caller held a top job in the NFL before, which wasn't as much of a train wreck as many believe. He also has a proven track record of adjusting his offensive schemes to match his quarterback’s style. He could help Dart by building the game plans around him, which should be the top priority of whoever is offered the job.