Players who were around the 2023 version of the Pittsburgh Steelers experienced something unprecedented for the organization. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada was fired in the middle of the season, which was big news for an organization known for patience and continuity. For the first time since hiring Todd Haley back in 2012, the Steelers went outside the organization and made Arthur Smith the new offensive coordinator.
Jaylen Warren was asked about Smith after the first padded practice and had some interesting things to say about his coaching style.
“He’s more assertive. There’s no question what he wants from you,” Warren said in a video posted by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on YouTube. “He’s gonna let you know.”
As a follow-up, Warren was asked if that clarity coming from Smith is something that players need.
“Yeah, I think everybody needs that,” Warren said.
The question was not directly asking him to compare Smith to Canada, but we can put two and two together here. The fact that Smith’s assertive nature and clear expectations are something Warren is highlighting as being new from the offensive coordinator role is telling of some of Canada’s shortcomings as a leader.
This is not the first comment this offseason that has raised questions about the extent of Canada’s shortcomings. Players have repeatedly praised Smith’s attention to detail and his ability to explain the “why” behind his concepts as he installed the new offense. Not that any of this is a big surprise, given the product that the Steelers’ offense put on the field last season.
Former Steelers TE Jace Sternberger, who was briefly with the Steelers during Canada’s tenure, criticized the simplicity and lack of organization that he felt from the Steelers offense at the time during a podcast appearance last November.
Smith has been big on accountability, too. He has players running laps for mental errors and mistakes like it is high school football again. Tim Rice, our photographer on-site at training camp, even caught a shot of Smith running a lap himself after practice.
The return to fundamentals and clear expectations for the offensive players will provide the necessary structure for one of the youngest offenses in the league to flourish under Smith in 2024.
