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The Pittsburgh Steelers are dominating on offense this season with Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator. Whether it's Russell Wilson or Justin Fields under center, they have been putting up points and wins. The former Atlanta Falcons head coach is reviving his public image and was under consideration for the North Carolina Tar Heels head coaching job. Now that he has turned that down, a prominent insider thinks that means he has NFL prospects.
That Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith conveyed his happiness in Pittsburgh despite having talks with North Carolina, his alma mater, about its recently opened job suggests his chances to become an NFL head coach might be pretty good,” ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported.
“From what I heard, the Tar Heels were high on Smith, who was considered the prime target. This makes me think that his stint in Atlanta will be viewed favorably in the next year or two as the NFL carousel spins. Smith won 21 games in three seasons with four different starting quarterbacks — none of whom are starters right now.”
Smith captained the ship for three seven-win seasons in Atlanta. Desmond Ridder, Marcus Mariota, Taylor Heinicke, and Matt Ryan were his starting quarterbacks. Despite his rough tenure with the Falcons, his great year with the Steelers could get Smith another head coaching job.
Potential landing spots for Arthur Smith
There will be plenty of head coach openings in the NFL, as there are every year. The Jets, Bears, and Saints have already fired their coaches, and Smith could be a fit for each of those roles. He never had a franchise quarterback while in Atlanta, so that should be a priority in his search.
The team with an established franchise quarterback is the Bears, where Caleb Williams has improved this season. Coaches will be clamoring to work with the first-overall pick but Smith is as viable an option as any. His run with Russell Wilson this year shows how he can coach up a quarterback quickly. After a disastrous run in Denver, Wilson will be back in the playoffs in just one season.
The Jets will likely look for someone with head coaching experience after a disastrous run with Robert Saleh. Smith has that, as unsuccessful as it was with wins and losses, and could be a good option. With the Wilson revival he pulled off last year, could he do the same with Aaron Rodgers?
The Saints have Derek Carr but will be in a position to draft a young quarterback in April. If Smith likes a veteran like Justin Fields or Sam Darnold, he could bring them to New Orleans along with a rookie and create a developmental quarterback room with his former rival.
