The biggest move of the offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers thus far has been to bring in former Tennessee Titans OC and Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith as their new offensive coordinator. It’s a hire that already got the seal of approval from former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, and former head coach Bill Cowher also offered praise for the hire in an interview posted by Fanatics View on YouTube.
“I like Arthur Smith, thought he was a great hire. He loves the running game, he builds around that. I thought he did a great job with Ryan Tannehill down in Tennessee,” Cowher said.
He added that you can’t judge Smith’s offense in Atlanta too harshly because he had a hand in the whole team and what he did during his last stint as an offensive coordinator with the Tennessee Titans “speaks volumes” about his ability to run an offense.
Cowher also thinks that Smith’s emphasis on the run game will work well with the Steelers.
“Come to Pittsburgh, you better be able to run the football. People accept nothing less than that. Plus, let Kenny Pickett or Mason Rudolph, whoever the quarterback may be, allow them to grow into the offense,” Cowher said. “I think that’s what Arthur will do.”
The quarterback question is the biggest one facing the Steelers, especially after reports of internal division among the team when it comes to backing Pickett or Rudolph. There’s also the possibility of an outside option if the team brings in another veteran, like Tannehill, if it doesn’t re-sign Rudolph.
But even with shaky quarterback play, which hopefully does improve in 2024, Smith can win with the run game, and the two-headed monster of Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris in the backfield should be the focal point for Smith and Pittsburgh’s offense in 2024. Smith was able to help get Derrick Henry over 2,000 yards in 2020, while also getting 1,000-plus yard seasons out of Tyler Allgeier and Bijan Robinson as rookies in Atlanta. With Harris and Warren both going over 1,000 all-purpose yards in 2023, each could be primed for an even bigger season in Smith’s offense in 2024.
The Steelers have always been a team built on running the ball, and even during Ben Roethlisberger’s early years, the team relied on the contributions of players like Jerome Bettis and Willie Parker to ease Roethlisberger into things. While we’re getting late for Pickett to need to be eased into it as he’s entering Year 3 and his age-26 season, maybe an improved run game and an offensive coordinator not named Matt Canada will benefit him or whoever Pittsburgh’s quarterback is next season.
Either way, it’s clear that the Smith hire is one that’s respected in football circles, and I have a lot of hope that it’s going to pay dividends with better results on the field.
Watch the full interview with Cowher below.
