Deciding who their next offensive coordinator will be is the biggest decision the Pittsburgh Steelers have to make this offseason, and they want it to be somebody who can come in and work with the roster they have without blowing the whole thing up, so says owner Art Rooney II.
He conveyed that message multiple times, with a group of reporters and for the team’s website. Asked what he wants the Steelers’ offense to look like in light of a new coordinator, he spoke plainly.
“We have an idea of what we want the Steeler offense to look like. Start with that”, he said, via 93.7 The Fan. “We have a certain roster mix. You can’t completely change your roster overnight, so you have to have a coordinator that feels like they can work with this roster and be successful with it”.
In seeking a new offensive coordinator the Steelers want somebody who believes in that and “can work with this roster”. Added to that, he wants a coach who will build off the foundation already in place. “I think that’s what we’re looking for”, Rooney said.
The Steelers do have talent. They produced three skill players who recorded 1,000 yards from scrimmage in 2023. And that doesn’t include a former Pro Bowler at wide receiver. Their offensive line has established and rising talent like Isaac Seumalo and last year’s first-round pick, Broderick Jones. The tight end position is ripe for reappraisal in terms of usage.
Rooney reiterated his same thoughts when he sat down with Steelers Radio Network’s Rob King for a one-on-one interview on Steelers.com. The first thing he said in describing the next Steelers offensive coordinator was someone who’s “willing and able to come in and work with the roster that we have and build on the strengths that we already have”.
He cited a strong running game with running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, whom he described as a two-headed monster. And he repeated the phrase “need to build on”, confirming his conviction in what the Steelers already have. “They need to be able to come in and work with those guys and help them take the next step”, Rooney said.
As of this point, the Steelers have formally interviewed three candidates. Thomas Brown, who has less than a full season’s worth of offensive coordinator in the NFL, interviewed first. Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson interviewed for the position as well.
Arthur Smith is the most recent interviewee and is by far the most qualified for the job. He has been both an offensive coordinator and a head coach, recently fired by the Atlanta Falcons. I’m sure the Steelers remember what he did as the play caller for the Tennessee Titans, however.
While these are the three names Pittsburgh has publicly shared, there will be more to come, one assumes. It may be that not all of them are formally announced. There is no hard and fast timetable for getting things done. But with the all-star games and Combine coming up, you want to have an idea of who is running your offense in the relatively near future.
