The New York Jets have submitted a request to interview Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive coordinator Arthur Smith for their head coach opening, according to a report from NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
Smith, who was previously interviewed by the Jets for the HC opening ahead of the 2021 season, was a candidate to join the Jets’ offensive coaching staff this offseason before landing the coordinator job with the Steelers.
Though the season went off the rails down the stretch for the Steelers, who lost four straight to back into the playoffs as the offense struggled mightily, Smith was expected to remain a head coaching candidate around the NFL due to his experience. He served as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2021-23, on top of his previous coordinator experience with the Tennessee Titans, and now the Steelers.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Smith is expected to receive interest from other teams regarding head coaching openings as well.
Smith was also a name mentioned as a potential head coach for his alma mater, the University of North Carolina, before the Tar Heels ultimately hired Bill Belichick after Smith pulled his name out of the running.
Previously, the Jets were having internal discussions about potentially interviewing Smith for the head coach opening, according to a report Sunday from longtime NFL reporter Josina Anderson.
Now, it appears those internal discussions have led to a request to interview Smith.
Smith is a name that has been talked about quite a bit when it comes to the Jets and the head coach opening after the franchise fired Robert Saleh in Week 5 of the season. Smith was called a “dark horse candidate” for the head coaching opening by Jets’ ESPN beat writer Rich Cimini.
He also previously interviewed for the Jets’ job back in 2021 before being hired by the Atlanta Falcons as their head coach. That interest from the Jets never waned, either, as the Jets tried to bring in Smith as the “de facto” offensive coordinator this offseason to oversee the Jets’ offense above coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, which Russini reported in July.
For now, Smith is trying to get the Steelers’ offense back on track ahead of the Wild Card matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. Things looked so promising early in the year for Smith and the Steelers’ offense once QB Russell Wilson was inserted into the starting lineup as the Steelers’ offense climbed into the top 10 in scoring at one point.
But since then, the Steelers have lost four straight games and have showed no answers offensively. Those struggles haven’t seemed to deter teams from showing interest in Smith. The Jets are out in front on Smith, but as Russini reported, more teams are expected to request interviews.
