In Pittsburgh, Arthur Smith’s offense is expected to look like the units he ran as offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans and head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. That means putting big people on the field, including a fullback. Extinct in most offenses, it could be revived in Pittsburgh.
Appearing on the Big Blue Kickoff podcast Monday, former Steelers lineman and current broadcaster Craig Wolfley estimates the team will use a fullback far more often this year under Smith.
“Multiple tight end sets, whether it’s 12, 13 personnel,” Wolfley told host Paul Dottino. “Multiple tight ends, plus jumbo, more quarterback under center, probably 30 percent more fullback- oriented snaps. So I think we’re gonna see a lot of different stuff, but it’s gonna be a physical come-after-you sort of thing.”
In Tennessee, Smith’s offense utilized Khari Blasingame. In 2020, he logged 165 snaps, or 16 percent of the total. Besides occasionally touching the ball in the passing game, his job was to block for RB Derrick Henry. In Atlanta, Keith Smith had a similar but even more frequent role. From 2021 to 2023, he played at least 185 offensive snaps each season and at least 20 percent of the offensive total each year. Over that span, he had just 13 receptions and 10 carries. It’s a departure from the few teams that use a fullback today, many using them as a hybrid like the 80s. For Smith, his guy was a tried-and-true lead blocker.
Given Smith’s track record, Wolfley’s estimate of 30 percent is probably a touch high. But the more interesting question than getting lost in percentages is who could be Pittsburgh’s fullback? There isn’t a true and obvious name on the roster. Connor Heyward could assume that role though he feels more like an H-back without a lead blocking background. He’s been effective moving around the formation and aligning as Y-off on split-zone looks, something he could frequently do in this offense. But in the backfield in the I-Form? That would be an adjustment.
What about Jack Colletto? A do-it-all player in college, he is listed as a fullback on the team roster. Athletic and earning spring buzz, he will also have to prove himself as a blocker and has an uphill battle to make the 53. But so did Will Johnson and Roosevelt Nix and they beat the odds. Tight end MyCole Pruitt is another theoretical possibility. Spending much of his career under Smith, most of his work has been in-line but he’s been given a handful of backfield opportunities.
It’ll be one of many stories to track in training camp. While Smith won’t tip his whole hand in camp or the preseason, he’ll lay the foundation. We’ll get an idea of how much heavy personnel there will be and how much fullback the team will use, including the players receiving those reps.
