Steelers' Arthur Smith Might Not Have Full Autonomy Over The Offense: 'A Question Of What Mike Tomlin Is Dictating'

The Pittsburgh Steelers have handed the leadership of the offense over to former Atlanta Falcons Head Coach Arthur Smith after ending the Matt Canada experiment. While it's clear that Pittsburgh wants to be one of the top teams in 2024 running the football, it's unclear how much control Smith will have to implement everything he wants. CBS Sports NFL insider Aditi Kinkhabwala has questions about how involved Team President Art Rooney II and Head Coach Mike Tomlin will be in the direction of the new unit. 

Kinkhabwala joined The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller on Wednesday afternoon for her weekly appearance on 93.7 The Fan. She wondered how much of a leash Smith would be given under Rooney and Tomlin to experiment with things he might want to do.

"I think that's more a question of what is Mike Tomlin, and perhaps to some degree Art Rooney, dictating," she said. "I think that as opposed to someone who has complete autonomy to be a scientist in a lab, it's you have to fit the philosophy of what the organization wants." 

She added that another key for the new coordinator will be fitting the personnel that Pittsburgh has brought in. She specifically highlighted Russell Wilson and how he was able to have success with the Seattle Seahawks. The team had a premier defensive unit for a good chunk of his tenure in the Pacific Northwest and a heavy running attack. Kinkhabwala continued that the team was able to take advantage of Wilson's ability to throw the deep ball because it wasn't the number one option. 

Show host Chris Mueller pointed out that in Smith's history of running offenses with the Falcons and the Tennessee Titans, the team has relied on one receiver, running backs, and tight ends. Currently, Pittsburgh has a presumed number-one receiver with George Pickens, a pair of good running backs in Najee Harris, and Jaylen Warren, and a potential star at tight end, Pat Freiermuth. This would seemingly check all the boxes for what Smith has done with his units in the past. 

Pittsburgh has added a mix of veteran receivers in free agency, but none that would stand out as a number two receiver. Scotty Miller and Quez Watkins are speed demons, but haven't been consistent enough in stints with other prior organizations to warrant a true number-two receiver billing. Van Jefferson was the number two receiver on the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, but hasn't come close to reaching the heights he did in that season since.

Rookie pass-catcher Roman Wilson will also figure into the mix at receiver. His versatility as a receiver and a blocker will appeal to the team as they want to establish the run game. Calvin Austin III is the other receiver to watch during training camp and the preseason. Austin was the Steelers' primary punt returner after Gunner Olszewski fumbled his way out of a job in Pittsburgh. He was used on 35% of offensive plays in 2023. With other veteran speedsters around, Austin has to prove he can be more dependable and less of a gadget player.

Steelers Bringing In Free Agents With Connections To Smith Is To Build "Culture" 

Pittsburgh has added a considerable smattering of players who have played for Smith to the team for 2024. Jefferson and Miller were both with Smith in 2023 in Atlanta, as were tight end MyCole Pruitt and Swiss Army Knife offensive weapon and returner Cordarelle Paterson. While everyone knows that Patterson was brought in to give the team a dynamic option with the new kickoff rules, the others are likely in Pittsburgh for another reason, according to Kinkhabwala. 

She said if Smith is vouching for specific players that he has a relationship with, it's because he knows they can be helpful in the locker room. She added that if he's advocating for these players to come to Pittsburgh, he knows they are hard workers and can be culture setters for the team. 

It's apparent Tomlin, Rooney, and General Manager Omar Khan trust Smith's input. Now, the question is how much of a leash he will have running the offense.