The Steelers believe Arthur Smith can unlock the mystery of Kenny Pickett, light a fire under Najee Harris, and lead a talented offense back to respectability. They hired the former Atlanta Falcons head coach yesterday to be their new offensive coordinator.
Smith coached the Falcons for three seasons, finishing 7-10 in each of them, after leading a run-oriented Tennessee Titans offense for two years, with Derrick Henry as a battering ram running back and Ryan Tannehill throwing the ball downfield just enough to keep teams from stacking up to stop the run. Critics say he misused his three highly-rated top draft picks in Atlanta, all offensive players, and Pickett needs a true mentor at quarterback.
The Steelers have not announced the deal yet. ESPN and the NFL Network both reported it last night.
NFL
Ben Johnson has decided to return to the Lions as their offensive coordinator rather than pursue the head coaching jobs with Washington or Seattle. He also interviewed with the Falcons, Panthers, and Chargers.
Carolina has hired Brad Idzik away from Tampa Bay to be their offensive coordinator, although new head coach Dave Canales will call the plays, as he did in working with Idzik last season.
The NFL announced quarterbacks Jalen Hurts, Baker Mayfield, Gardner Minshew and Geno Smith have been added to their respective conference Pro Bowl teams as replacement players. Other replacements include wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Stefon Diggs and rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs. On the defensive side, cornerback Darius Slay, defensive tackle Derrick Brown and rookie defensive end Will Anderson Jr. were all selected.
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