Will Arthur Smith be able to fully run his offense with the Steelers this year?
Earlier this offseason, Steelers OC Arthur Smith admitted he had to “pivot” concerning some of his plans offensively. Now going into his second season with the team, do they have all the pieces he needs to function fully? Is Aaron Rodgers fully compatible with Smith’s vision, for example? That’s one thing that appears to be in question, right down to who is steering the ship.
Now, I don’t think the Steelers hired Arthur Smith last year just to be a figurehead. They brought him in because they wanted to run the offense the way he has historically run it. Over the past two years, the Steelers have worked to build the roster he needs for that.
In 2024, for example, they drafted three offensive linemen, all of whom are expected to start this year. Unsatisfied with Najee Harris’ results, the Steelers drafted RB Kaleb Johnson, who seems to fit Arthur Smith like a glove. They are also emphasizing blocking at the tight end and wide receiver positions, the latter getting grimy, apparently.
So is that it? Are the Steelers suddenly equipped to run the Arthur Smith offense to its fullest extent? Of course, they don’t have Derrick Henry, which would certainly help. But with improvements from the offensive line and a retooled backfield, the run game could take a significant jump in efficiency this year.
It may all come down to Aaron Rodgers and how he meshes with Arthur Smith in the Steelers’ offense. Both Smith and Rodgers have downplayed any notion of the future Hall of Fame quarterback superseding his coordinator. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that Smith won’t have to do some things differently than he might like.
One thing he surely does like is that, historically, Aaron Rodgers is an elite play-action passer. The play-action passing game is Arthur Smith’s bread and butter. If they can get in sync on that, with the run game opening things up down the field, this could get interesting.
Smith has his big vertical body in DK Metcalf, and another burner in Calvin Austin III, with route runners in Roman Wilson and Robert Woods. But do the Steelers need just one more playmaker for the cherry on top of the Arthur Smith offense?
The Steelers are rebuilding, or reloading, whatever they feel the need to call it, after another disappointment last season. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is the quarterback question. While they ultimately traded George Pickens, they have other decisions to make. The 2025 NFL Draft class is now behind us, so most of the roster construction is complete.
But we still have a long offseason ahead for Steelers football, or football in shorts. At least we can finally put the Aaron Rodgers situation to bed and move on to other things. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and filling holes as we go.
