The Chicago Bears hired Detroit Lions OC Ben Johnson as their new head coach, per NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, meaning Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will not get the job.
Smith is still a candidate for the New York Jets’ head coaching job, but if he doesn’t land that, he will likely return to Pittsburgh in 2025. He interviewed for the Bears job on Jan. 15.
It was previously reported by FOX NFL Insider Jordan Schultz that Smith wasn’t a favorite for the Chicago vacancy, so today’s news doesn’t come as much of a surprise.
Smith was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2021-2023. The 2024 season was his first season as the Steelers’ offensive coordinator, and despite a late-season swoon where the offense failed to hold a lead or score more than 17 points in a game, Smith still drew praise for how he handled Pittsburgh’s quarterback situation.
Justin Fields started the first six games for the Steelers, throwing just one interception and playing some of the best football of his career. His decision-making looked improved from what he showed with the Bears. After Russell Wilson took over in Week 7, the Steelers had success with their deep passing and play-action attack, but when the run game started to slow down and teams played more zone coverage, the Steelers struggled to find the same level of success late in the season.
But Wilson and Fields looked better than they had in years for periods during the season, and with Smith’s prior head coaching experience, he’s still been a candidate for head coaching jobs this offseason.
While one team that interviewed Smith went in another direction, the Jets still could be an option to hire Smith, which doesn’t make it a guarantee he’ll be back in Pittsburgh next year
New York had has interest in Smith, dating back to his time as the Tennessee Titans’ offensive coordinator before he was hired by Atlanta. The Jets also tried to hire Smith for an offensive assistant role last offseason before he accepted Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator job.
In hiring Johnson, the Bears are getting an innovative offensive coordinator who led one of the best defenses in the league. Johnson has gotten a lot of credit for turning around the career of QB Jared Goff, and now he’ll work with Caleb Williams, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick. The Steelers will get a look at Johnson and the Bears in 2025, with them traveling to Chicago for a game next season.
If Smith does return to Pittsburgh, his focus will be elevating the quarterback room and getting better production out of whoever starts for the Steelers in 2025, while also finding a way to improve a run game that struggled late in the season. With key offensive free agents such as Fields, Wilson and Najee Harris, Arthur Smith may need to break in new starters at two important offensive positions.
