DONE DEAL: The Steelers has sign this quarterback now that Arthur Smith has been appointed offensive coordinator.
On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers picked Arthur Smith as their offensive coordinator, abruptly ending a search that also included the Houston Texans’ Jerrod Johnson and the Los Angeles Rams’ Zac Robinson.
One of the most important queries regarding the Steelers offense’s future is addressed by Smith’s hiring. The focus now shifts to a possible quarterback matchup between Ryan Tannehill and Kenny Pickett, as well as an unidentified group of opponents.
During Smith’s tenure as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator in 2019–2020, Tannehill achieved remarkable success. He completed the game with 55 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions in those two seasons. Compared to his 36 touchdown passes and 21 interceptions during his first two seasons in Miami, that was a significant improvement.
Running back Derrick Henry was the first beneficiary of Smith’s run-heavy offence in Tennessee, which allowed Tannehill to start using the passing game. Reviving Tannehill’s career and the Titans offence as a whole was made possible in large part by Smith, the head coach the Falcons fired in early January.
Tannehill led the Titans over Tom Brady and the Patriots in the 2019 playoffs, and they went on to upset top-seeded Baltimore in the next round. TN was defeated by Kansas City in the AFC championship match.
That season, Tannehill was named the Associated Press and Professional Football Writers of America’s Comeback Player of the Year.
Tannehill, a free agent this offseason, finished 2023 with four touchdown passes and seven interceptions before being substituted by rookie Will Levis.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh’s backup quarterback situation is not stable. Since Mitch Trubisky’s experiment failed, many people anticipate that the Steelers would bench him to make cap room. Mason Rudolph, a free agent who performed admirably towards the end, may decide to depart the Steelers.
Tannehill has been with the team for eleven years and is nearing the conclusion of his career, but he has experience working with Smith and his designs. The Steelers could relieve pressure on Tannehill if they have a strong running game with Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris (1,819 rushing yards, 12 touchdowns combined in 2023).
The goal, said to Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, is to start Pickett in 2024 even if he intends to add competition. Although Tannehill isn’t a long-term option at quarterback, he and a QB selected in the late rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft might force Pickett to step up his game.
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