The Pittsburgh Steelers have seen some progress on the offensive side of the ball in 2024. They have upgraded from consistently terrible offenses to one that still lacks consistency, however. They had four straight games where they put up totals of 32, 37, 26, and 28 points, but they followed that up by failing to score 20 points in back-to-back games. Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith has been praised for the how his unit has improved overall, but he has also faced some backlash for some of their recent duds.
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However, it seems like the Steelers may lose their new play-caller. Smith was reportedly in the mix for the head coaching position for the North Carolina Tar Heels. It would be a huge blow to lose him as the Steelers are getting into their gauntlet of a schedule. Smith's alma mater is calling, but would he go back there to lead a team?
Smith addressed that in his Thanksgiving Day press conference, as he put all the rumors to rest once and for all.
While it was unlikely that he would just straight up abandon an 8-3 team in the middle of the season, it's still nice to hear that Smith will be staying with the Steelers. If there were any concerns about it, they are now gone. Smith will continue to be the offensive coordinator for the rest of the 2024 campaign.
Smith continued on with that thought, claiming that he may have bailed from any team for North Carolina many years ago, but not anymore.
Back when he was the offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans, he was still a younger, more inexperienced coach. Any head coaching job at the time would be his first, and he would pounce on pretty much any offer. With Tennessee, however, he helped develop one of the most feared offenses in the game, as Derrick Henry had career years under Smith's leadership.
Smith did get his chance to be the head coach, but it was not as amazing as he had hoped. He had a very forgettable tenure with the Atlanta Falcons, as their offense regularly stagnated throughout his three seasons there. That itch to at least try to run a whole team has seemingly been scratched now, and he is happy right where he is currently in the Steel City.
Steelers Were Not Initially Sure That Smith Would Stay
Smith admitted that North Carolina did reach out to him for a "preliminary call" during their search for a new head coach, and he declined to go any further than that for his alma mater.
If Smith is as happy as he says he is with the Steelers, then that is good news for them. They may have their offensive coordinator for the long-term future. If the offense can gain consistency, who knows how long it will be before another NFL team tries to lure him away with the promise of a head coaching job. If that does happen, will he try again, or will he stay in his happy place?
