Arthur Smith has been named as a candidate for head coach openings this offseason over the past couple months, and there is finally credible reporting from several sources that indicates the New York Jets have put in an interview request with him for their vacancy.
According to one Steelers insider, it might not be so easy to lure Smith away from Pittsburgh.
“What I was told is that Arthur Smith is extremely happy in Pittsburgh,” Mark Kaboly wrote via X. “Would have to be the perfect fit for him to be head coach somewhere else.”
As Kaboly noted, the Jets “might not be a perfect fit for anybody.”
Robert Saleh was the head coach there from 2021 to 2024 before being fired in the middle of the season. The Jets took a nosedive after he was fired and finished 5-12 after investing heavily in their roster over the last two years.
Just a month ago, Smith was reached out to by the University of North Carolina for their head coach vacancy. They ended up hiring Bill Belichick, but Smith informed them that he was not interested in the job.
“Probably different mindset than I was five, four years ago, where any head job, I probably would’ve walked there and take it,” Smith said about his conversation and mindset with the UNC job via 93.7 The Fan. “Now, my perspective is different. And when you got something good like I got here in Pittsburgh right now. Family loves it here. I like the working environment. Love being a Steeler.”
According to Kaboly, nothing has really changed on that front. When he said that, the Steelers were 8-3. Now they are 10-7 as they back their way into the playoffs. Regardless, Smith doesn’t want to just jump at any head coach opportunity. If you get fired twice from head coaching gigs, you may not get another opportunity, and he knows that.
The Jets are not an attractive opening at the moment. They fired their head coach in the middle of the season and they have no viable quarterback plan with the Aaron Rodgers experiment failing.
Perhaps Arthur Smith will receive other interview requests from teams with better situations, but the Jets seem unlikely to me as I sit here right now. They have also put in requests with several other candidates, so there is no guarantee that they even land on Smith.
