One of the biggest gripes regarding the reported hiring of Arthur Smith as the next offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers centers on the concerns that the 42-year-old former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons never quite developed that piece he needed at the quarterback position.
After having great success with Ryan Tannehill in Tennessee during the 2019 and 2020 seasons as the offensive coordinator of the Titans, Smith went to Atlanta and never figured out the quarterback position.
Names like Marcus Mariota, Taylor Heinicke and Desmond Ridder flamed out, which ultimately cost Smith his job.
Now, he’s tasked with turning the Steelers’ offense around after a rough few seasons, and at the forefront of that is developing quarterback Kenny Pickett, who is entering his third season.