Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith was requested for interviews by the Chicago Bears and New York Jets for their vacant head coaching jobs, and now we know when those interviews will take place. Per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Smith will interview for the Bears’ head coaching job this morning and then interview for the Jets’ job tomorrow.
Both teams are casting a wide net in their search for their next head coach, with the Bears interviewing at least 18 candidates for their job. ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano predicted that Smith would land New York’s coaching job, as owner Woody Johnson has had interest in him dating back to his time as the Tennessee Titans’ offensive coordinator and the Jets tried to hire Smith for an offensive coaching role last offseason.
Pittsburgh’s offense sputtered down the stretch, failing to hold a lead or score more than 17 points during its five-game losing streak to close the season. But Smith’s work with Pittsburgh’s quarterback room, getting some of the best football out of Justin Fields and getting periods of good play out of Russell Wilson, has helped him garner interest as a head coach candidate. He also has experience in the role, serving as the Atlanta Falcons’ head coach from 2021-2023, and the prior experience also explains why he’s interviewing for jobs this offseason.
If Smith leaves, the Steelers will need to hire a new offensive coordinator for the second offseason in a row. Hiring Smith was always a risk given his prior head coaching experience and there was no guarantee how long he’d stay in Pittsburgh. He could be one-and-done if he impresses the Bears or Jets enough in his interviews this week.
In Chicago, Smith would be tasked with getting the best out of 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, and Williams’ pedigree makes the Bears’ opening an attractive one for head coach candidates. The Jets are likely to start over at the quarterback position after Aaron Rodgers struggled this season, so Smith would need to work on developing a young quarterback to try and take over and be their franchise guy.
There’s also the chance that Justin Fields could follow him to New York, as Fields returning to Chicago would be highly unlikely, especially since he’d be locked into the backup role behind Williams. That could be one of the biggest domino effects of Smith leaving Pittsburgh, and if it does indeed happen, it will be something to watch closely.
The Steelers will likely be making staff changes, and those could come in the next few days. While Smith would more than likely remain as offensive coordinator if he doesn’t get hired elsewhere, that possibility means the Steelers might be making changes they didn’t plan on as they try to turn things around for 2025.
