The Pittsburgh Steelers hired Arthur Smith as their offensive coordinator for two main reasons.
The first reason is that he has playcalling experience, hence his tenure as the offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans from 2019 to 2020 and as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2021 to 2023. Art Rooney II said that experience was the deciding factor in hiring Smith.
“Arthur has great experience, obviously as a coordinator in Tennessee for a few years and as a head coach,” Rooney said to KDKA-TV. “That’s great experience, and he just seemed like a good fit. Mike was very comfortable with it.”
The second reason is that the Steelers want to take the running game to the next level. Despite having one of the best one-two punches in the league with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, their running game has struggled in terms of total yards and touchdowns over the past five seasons. They ranked 29th in yards and 30th in touchdowns in 2019, 32nd in yards and 29th in touchdowns in 2020, 29th in yards and 30th in touchdowns in 2021, 16th in yards and 14th in touchdowns in 2022, and 13th in yards and 12th in touchdowns in 2023.
Swith is tasked with improving the rushing attack and has a proven track record of having one of the best-rushing offenses over the past five seasons with the Titans and Falcons. His rushing offenses ranked 3rd in yards and 3rd in touchdowns in 2019, 2nd in yards and 2nd in touchdowns in 2020, 31st in yards and 27th in touchdowns in 2021, 3rd in yards and 10th in touchdowns in 2022, and 9th in yards and 15th in touchdowns in 2023.
Having success in the running game doesn’t always lie on the shoulders of the running back but also on the offensive line and tight end. The Steelers understood the importance of having a reliable tight end who can run-block and signed one with experience in Smith’s offense.
The Steelers signed MyCole Pruitt to a one-year contract.
Pruitt will be on his sixth team in his tenth year in the NFL. He has 71 receptions on 96 targets for 748 yards and 12 touchdowns in 109 career games.
Pruitt will not be a threat in the passing game, given his low reception numbers, but he brings familiarity with Smith’s scheme and is a proven run blocker. Nick Farabaugh of Steelers Now explains the significance of the signing.
“Only Darnell Washington felt like a sure thing as a blocker who could make a significant difference in the system. Pruitt’s best trait, by far, is his blocking. He gets a significant push at the point of attack, moves well in space, and executes combo blocks at a high level. Take in the fact that Pruitt stands to be, at best, the team’s TE3, and it makes a lot of sense to sign him for what is likely a veteran benefit deal.”
The Steelers have five tight ends, including Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward, MyCole Pruitt, and Rodney Williams.
Freiermuth is known for his receiving ability and has struggled with blocking. Washington is known for his blocking ability and saw limited targets. Heyward can catch passes and block, and there is a possibility that he plays fullback next season. Finally, Williams is a reserve who primarily plays special teams.
Just because Pruitt spent the last six seasons with Smith doesn’t mean he is guaranteed a roster spot and will likely compete for the TE3 or TE4 spot, depending on what they do with Heyward.
Ultimately, Omar Khan will decide whether Pruitt will make the 53-man roster.
