Steelers should rush to hire young offensive mind to their coaching staff

In a somewhat surprising move, the Houston Texans fired offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. After quarterback C.J. Stroud had a phenomenal rookie season that was accompanied with Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, Slowik is out as the Texans' OC after just two seasons. The Pittsburgh Steelers should come calling.

After Mike Tomlin hand-selected Arthur Smith for the vacant offensive coordinator position last offseason and gifted him a three-year contract, we knew firing Smith was never an option. However, the Steelers are coming off an underwhelming season offensively and Smith's offense averaged a dismal 14 points per game over the final five contests of the year (including the playoffs).

As a result, this team fell short of meeting expectations. The offense ranked 19th in the NFL in points, 23rd in yards, 25th in yards per play, and 20th in EPA offense.

Smith didn't help Russell Wilson revive his career either, as the veteran quarterback finished in the bottom half of the league in efficiency statistics like QBR, EPA per play, and bad throw percentage.

There's still time for Smith to turn things around, but the Steelers would be wise to bring in an innovative offensive mind like Slowik to help with the offense in 2025.

Steelers should hire Bobby Slowik as an assistant coach

The Texans' offense underperformed in 2024, and I don't feel Slowik had a great plan for his team in 2024. That being said, I was impressed with the young OC during the 2023 season and I think that he still has a chance to be a very good coach in this league.

During the 2023 season, Slowik helped Stroud to an outstanding rookie season that included 23 touchdowns and 5 interceptions in 15 games with a passer rating of 100.8. Meanwhile, Slowik's offense ranked 12th in yards and 13th in points.

Slowik is a Kyle Shanahan prodigy who was an offensive assistant and passing game coordinator for a high-powered 49ers offense before taking the OC job with the Texans. Still just 37 years old, Slowik would bring a young, energetic mind and an innovative philosophy to the table.

If things go south with Arthur Smith in 2025, Slowik could be a candidate to step up as Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator in 2026. Just last offseason, NFL experts spoke highly of Slowik and believed he was going to be a terrific head coach candidate.

A lot can change in a year. Slowik is now looking for work. If he doesn't get another offensive coordinator job this offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers should hire him as an offensive assistant to work alongside Smith.