Arthur Smith is a football story which is often lauded as incredible. Smith, the son of FedEx Founder Frederick Smith, has started from the bottom and worked his way to the top. He started as a quality control coach, then promoted to an assistant position coach, and eventually was given the play sheet for the Tennessee Titans as the offensive coordinator when Matt LaFleur departed for the Green Bay Packers.

This story would be surprising enough, but Smith catapulted his success as the play caller in Tennessee to getting the head coaching job for the Atlanta Falcons. We’ll get to his success, or lack thereof, which resulted in him becoming the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator for the 2024 season, but after just one year as the play caller in Pittsburgh Smith is getting head coaching looks again.

Wednesday Smith interviewed with the Chicago Bears vacancy, and will be interviewing for the New York Jets vacancy Thursday. This per Albert Breer:

Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is interviewing for the Bears HC job this morning and for the Jets HC job tomorrow, per sources.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 15, 2025

After seeing this news, I can’t help but ask the question, “Why would Smith get more head coaching looks?”

Sure, the Steelers offense improved from 28th to 16th in points scored from the previous season, but when you average 18 points per game the prior year, that’s a pretty low bar to hurdle. But he isn’t being looked at for a coordinator position, he’s being interviewed for a head coaching gig.

In that respect, you have to take a look at his history as the man in charge, and it isn’t pretty.

Smith’s first season in Atlanta the Falcons finished third in the NFC South with a 7–10 record and did not qualify for the playoffs. In his second season, Smith led the Falcons to another 7–10 record as the team finished fourth in the NFC South and did not qualify for the playoffs. The Falcons finished next season with Smith at the helm resulted with their third consecutive 7–10 record. This also extended the Falcons streak of missing the playoffs to six straight seasons, resulting in Smith’s firing on January 8, 2024.

Are NFL teams that desperate they need to interview a man who was highly criticized as the head coach in this three years in Atlanta? For a man who never truly tapped into the potential of players like Drake London, Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts? It seems as if they are, and the fact he is getting interviews speaks volumes, even if he doesn’t get hired.

The Steelers are likely to keep Smith if he doesn’t jettison for another job, and that is when the serious questions will remain about the Steelers offense moving forward. Then again, maybe he’ll get another head coaching job…for some reason.

Be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the rest of the offseason.