Prior to landing with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Feb. 2 as their new offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith nearly had another home in the AFC following his abrupt firing from the Atlanta Falcons following three seasons of 7-10 records as the head coach.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini in the first episode of her new podcast with former NFL QB Chase Daniel, the New York Jets had targeted Smith as their new offensive coordinator. The Jets were kicking around the idea of bringing someone in to oversee the offense, above current coordinator Nathaniel Hackett after a disastrous 2023 season that went off the rails four plays into the season when quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles.