The Pittsburgh Steelers needed to make some big changes on the offensive side of the ball heading into 2024. Kenny Pickett was the only quarterback under contract for 2024 at the start of the offseason. So the Steelers added Russell Wilson. The team also needed a new offensive coordinator after firing Matt Canada midseason. So they hired former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith.
For Louis Riddick, Smith is the most important move the Steelers have made this offseason. On Wednesday’s episode of Get Up on ESPN, he was asked about the addition of Wilson and how big of an impact he would have on the team. He pivoted the conversation to the offensive coordinator hire.
“Arthur is the most important part of this,” Riddick said. “Russell needs to fit into what Arthur is going to want, which is play on time. I don’t need you to cook, Russ. That’s not what we need you to do. We need you to play on time. Throw the ball to George Pickens, throw it to Pat Freiermuth, hand it off to Najee Harris. Don’t turn it over. Do what we ask you to do. Improvise when you need to but not when you want to. And they’re gonna be much better.”
Arthur Smith’s offense is built around establishing a dominant running game (hello, Derrick Henry from 2019-20) and building a play-action-based passing game from that. It’s why Ryan Tannehill reached previously unseen heights in two years under Smith with the Tennessee Titans.
It’s also why the Steelers think Smith can help Pickett take positive steps forward after a rough start to his career while simultaneously rejuvenating Wilson. The nine-time Pro Bowler was at his best in 2023 utilizing play-action, per Pro Football Focus. He completed 64.7 percent of his passes (actually lower than his completion percentage for the season) but had 7.3 yards per attempt and threw 11 touchdowns versus one interception. He also had an average depth of target of 10.6 yards past the line of scrimmage, which fits Smith’s desire to push the ball down the field.
At 35 years old (and turning 36 during the 2024 season), Wilson is not the same quarterback he was when he won the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. He’s not as athletic, which hampers his ability to improvise as successfully. He can still make plays with his legs, but he sometimes is far too trusting of that ability, and it gets him into trouble.
What Riddick is saying is that Wilson (and Pickett) needs to trust Smith’s offense. Smith is going to design an offense around the running game with Harris and Jaylen Warren. Whoever the quarterback is will need to take advantage of the opportunities but play within the system, not freelance on every drop back. That could help Wilson cut down on his sack total (45 in 2023).
Riddick has already made his feelings known about the Steelers having a genuine “firecracker of a competition” to see who will start Week 1 in 2024. Perhaps that plays into his reasoning of why Smith is the most important move the Steelers have made this offseason. However, regardless of who starts, it will be Smith tasked with putting the quarterback in the best situation possible. By extension, the success of the offense hinges on Arthur Smith’s ability to put his players in advantageous situations to maximize their abilities.
