NFL fans are ripping on the Pittsburgh Steelers over a questionable coaching decision that was announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Per the NFL insiders at NFL Network, the Steelers have hired former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith as their new offensive coordinator. Previous OC Matt Canada was fired late in the 2023 season, with Eddie Faulkner assuming interim duties to finish out the season.
Needless to say, social media was totally savage on the Steelers’ decision to bring in Smith as their new head coach…
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The Falcons hired Smith as their head coach back in 2021 thanks to his success as the OC of the Tennessee Titans. He watched Derrick Henry win two rushing titles and helped quarterback Ryan Tannehill enjoy a career revival.
Though Smith arrived in Atlanta with a reputation for being an offensive mastermind, the Falcons were nothing close to a top-10 unit under his watch. They were a woeful 26th in points for in 2021, 15th in 2022 and 26th in 2023.
In Smith’s defense, he also never had an elite quarterback to work with during his tenure with the Falcons. 36-year-old Matt Ryan was past his prime in 2021. Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder left a lot to be desired in 2022, as did the Ridder-Taylor Heinicke tandem in 2023.
Pittsburgh had to look outside the organization for a new OC, given the longtime struggles on that side of the ball. Only time will tell if Mike Tomlin got it right in hiring Smith.
