If the Steelers don’t know how Aaron Rodgers will fit in an Arthur Smith offense, that is entirely on them. While they wait to find out if he will even sign, they have certainly had ample time to figure everything else out along the way. From a six-hour in-person meeting to other avenues of communication, they have done their due diligence.
While the Steelers should know, though, those on the outside are only left to speculate. The impression is that both Rodgers and Smith are strong-willed individuals, so who would win out? Last year, it seems, Smith emerged victorious over Russell Wilson, but Rodgers is a different beast.
Those who cover the Steelers recognize that, as Mark Kaboly referenced during an interview on SiriusXM Radio yesterday. “Are we gonna call it the Arthur Smith offense or we gonna call it the Aaron Rodgers offense?”, he teased.
The Steelers hired Arthur Smith as their offensive coordinator just last offseason. They brought him in to gain a level of professionalism and experience in their offense, which his successor clearly lacked. But even compared to Wilson, working with Aaron Rodgers is a different story. Rodgers has always been a volume passer in pass-first offenses.
“I think Arthur is a good enough coordinator to be able to create a plan around [Rodgers’] strengths”, Kaboly said. “You don’t have George Pickens and DK Metcalf and Pat Freiermuth and think you’re gonna run the ball 35 times a game. That’s just absolutely ridiculous”.
But he did question whether Rodgers would be capable of staying on-script with whatever Smith might call. “I think [Smith]’s levelheaded enough to know that Aaron is a [four]-time MVP. He’s [41], he’s a surefire Hall of Famer. It might be decent to listen to him. I’m not saying to give him carte blanche. Obviously, you have a structure around it, but you better listen to what the Hall of Fame quarterback has to say, and I think Arthur would do that”.
While many have questioned how Rodgers and Smith would mesh, reports have suggested that Smith is actually excited about potentially working with him. It would certainly mark the most prestigious quarterback he has worked with in his career.
Arthur Smith has a run-first reputation, and he reinforces it when he speaks. But he also had Derrick Henry at running back and Ryan Tannehill at quarterback during the formative period of his career. Nobody really questions what an Arthur Smith offense with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback would look like.
And to Kaboly’s point, this is an offense in which the talent skews to the passing game. If you have both George Pickens and DK Metcalf, versus Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, what do you think your game plan is going to look like? Smith is going to want Rodgers to put the ball in the air.
Now, even if there is an agreement on the general offensive philosophy, there are still the details to consider. What are the specifics that Rodgers might prefer that Smith may not care for? How much freedom do the Steelers want Rodgers to have to make his own adjustments?
