The 2024 NFL Honors were held Thursday night, honoring the best the league had to offer this season. It was no surprise to see former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator and current Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson win the night’s first award, named by the AP as the Assistant Offensive Coach of the Year. It was more surprising to see two Steelers’ coaches receive votes.
Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith and Special Teams Coordinator Danny Smith received votes on the AP’s ballot, though neither were first-place and their totals were dwarfed by most on the list.
The AP’s Rob Maaddi shared the final tallies. Danny Smith received a pair of fifth-place votes while Arthur Smith received a long fifth-place selection.
Arthur Smith finished up his first year with the Steelers. Despite an ugly end to the year, Pittsburgh finished 16th in points per game, the team’s best ranking since 2020. Under Smith, QB Justin Fields made progress while QB Russell Wilson initially shined as the Steelers got off to a 10-3 start. Smith received a pair of head coach interviews with the Chicago Bears and New York Jets, though he was passed over for both jobs.
Danny Smith has served as the Steelers’ STs Coordinator since 2013, making him the team’s second-longest tenured coach only behind Mike Tomlin. Pittsburgh’s special teams were a huge component to their first half of the season success. In three straight games from Weeks 5-7, the Steelers blocked a kick or punt, finishing the year with two blocked kicks and one blocked swat. Another block was negated by questionable penalty the NFL later admitted was incorrect.
Elsewhere, K Chris Boswell had a historic year en route to being named First-Team All-Pro, the first Steeler to ever receive the honor. His 41 field goals set a franchise record and are the second-most in NFL history. PR Calvin Austin III ran back a punt 73 yards for a touchdown in a Week 8 win over the New York Giants.
The Assistant of the Year Award debuted in 2014. No Steelers’ coach has won it.
