While Pittsburgh Steelers OC Arthur Smith won’t be leaving the team for the head coach opening at the University of North Carolina, his alma mater, he could be up for NFL head coach openings this offseason. With the Chicago Bears firing head coach Matt Eberflus, their roster, which features 2024 No. 1 overall pick QB Caleb Williams, makes them an attractive opening for potential candidates. FOX NFL insider Jay Glazer believes Arthur Smith could be a candidate for Chicago’s opening.
“I think the number one thing for them, is they’re gonna need an offensive coach I think that can really sit there and teach and mold Caleb Williams over the years, that can develop. So you look at some of the guys out there like Arthur Smith, what he’s doing in Pittsburgh right now,” Glazer said on FOX NFL Sunday.
Glazer had six other offensive coaches under consideration, including Washington Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury, who worked with Williams at USC and listed eight defensive coaches who could be considered. The Bears could cast a wide net as they look to find the right coach to turn their franchise around.
Glazer believes that Chicago will look for an offensive coach to find someone who can mold Williams and maintain continuity. Hiring a defensive head coach could lead to the offensive coordinator getting poached and needing to restart the offense.
Smith’s prior head coaching experience makes him an intriguing candidate this offseason, as does the fact that he’s found success with two different quarterbacks in Pittsburgh’s offense this season. He started the season with Justin Fields under center while Russell Wilson dealt with a calf injury. Fields went 4-2, while Wilson is currently 4-1 for the Steelers with a big matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals looming.
Pittsburgh’s offense is distinctly different with Wilson under center than with Fields, as there’s less of the designed quarterback run game, and the Steelers have opened things up a little bit downfield. Smith’s ability to adapt to his personnel has been impressive and likely caught the eye of teams around the league, especially ones that have a head coach opening or are considering making a change.
There are a lot of potential head coaching candidates this offseason, as evidenced by the 15 names Glazer had on his initial list for the Bears, so it’s certainly not a guarantee that the Steelers will lose Smith to a head coaching job this offseason. But it wouldn’t be a surprise if he at least had an interview or two for a head coaching gig, and his name will certainly continue to be floated in connection with head coaching openings.
