Last year, the two spots that felt like they were hurting the Pittsburgh Steelers the most were offensive coordinator and quarterback. The light simply never came on for Matt Canada, and all three quarterbacks the Steelers employed were below-average at best. Combined, those two problems made the Steelers’ offense almost unwatchable. Both those positions received complete overhauls this offseason, but based on some recent comments, it seems like offensive coordinator Arthur Smith was prepared to come to Pittsburgh no matter who the quarterback was.
“Once Mike [Tomlin] called me, I wanted to come here,” Smith said on Tennessee radio show 102.5 and 106.3 The Game. “I wanted to work in Pittsburgh. I didn’t care who the quarterback was. I wanted to work for Mike Tomlin, the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
When he was hired, Smith probably would’ve never guessed what quarterbacks he’d actually end up coaching with the Steelers. He probably assumed that at least Kenny Pickett would be on the roster. Instead, Russell Wilson signed with the team and Pickett wanted out. Fast forward to present day, and Wilson is dealing with an injury, so Justin Fields is the starting quarterback. It has to feel like a crazy turn of events for Smith.
That change might not be unwelcome though. Although Smith didn’t care who the quarterback was, he probably had an idea of who would fit better or worse in his offense. Pickett has struggled so far in his career, and while Fields hasn’t been great, he’s flashed more potential. He’s also much more athletic, a factor that could have Smith salivating over the opportunities in the run game.
However, Wilson should be the starter once he’s healthy. He’s also a better option at quarterback for Smith than any of the other players Pittsburgh previously had. While he’s getting older, and he hasn’t been as good over the past few years, he might be able to settle in more in Smith’s run-heavy offense. Wilson’s best success has come with a powerful running game behind him, so maybe Smith can tap into whatever the veteran has left in the tank.
Whatever the case may be, Smith has Wilson and Fields to work with now, and he doesn’t seem to be mad about that at all. All three of them have had their value tank in recent years, so they’re all in a similar situation. If any of them fail with the Steelers, they could be out of the NFL. It’s a do-or-die situation, and it sounds like Smith is prepared to do his absolute best. Considering what Pittsburgh’s offense has looked like recently though; he can’t be much worse.
