As 14 teams get set to enter the NFL playoffs, eight franchises are beginning the process of looking for new head coaches. Surprisingly, Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is already drawing interest from his former team.
On Thursday, NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the Tennessee Titans have requested to interview Smith—as well as two other candidates—for their vacant head coaching position. Smith was the Titans' offensive coordinator in 2019 and 2020, where he led Tennessee to the second-ranked offense in 2020 before taking a head coaching position with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021.
Over the last five years, however, a Smith-led offense with the Falcons and Steelers has combined for an average rank of 23rd in the NFL, while never finishing in the top half of the league.
Regardless, the Arthur Smith buzz is real, and it feels like the Steelers' OC could spurn Pittsburgh for a promotion in 2026. If he does, the best candidate to replace him feels painfully obvious.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should hire Mike McDaniel as their OC if Arthur Smith leaves
Perhaps the most surprising head coaching firing was Mike McDaniel. After it appeared McDaniel's job was safe, the Miami Dolphins decided to part ways with their young, offensive-minded head coach less than a week after the end of the 2025 regular season, per Schefter.
Unlike Smith, McDaniel led his team to tremendous offensive success as a head coach. After finishing with the sixth-ranked offense as a first-year head coach in 2022, McDaniel's offense ranked number one in total offense and the number two scoring offense in 2023.
Over the past few years, however, the Dolphins' talent pool has been depleted. And it didn't help matters that superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill suffered a gruesome knee injury early in the 2025 season.
Now McDaniel is looking for work, and the Steelers should pick up the phone.
Before becoming the head coach of the Dolphins, McDaniel was a 38-year-old offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers back in 2021, where he helped an offense—led by quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo—rank seventh in the NFL while reaching the NFC championship game.
McDaniel comes straight from the coveted Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, and there will be multiple teams pursuing the former Dolphins head coach in 2026. The Steelers should make room for him.
If Arthur Smith gets poached by an opposing team soon for a head coaching job, and if the Steelers get knocked out of the playoffs early, general manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin should kick Smith to the curb to sign McDaniel as the Steelers' new offensive coordinator. Unlike Smith, McDaniel thrives on working the offense over the middle of the field.
Hiring Mike McDaniel is a no-brainer for the Steelers, and Pittsburgh should make it happen as soon as possible.