GLENDALE – A 13th name has been requested for an interview by the Arizona Cardinals in Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. After the surprise news of Mike Tomlin stepping down, Smith found himself back on the market. The 43-year-old has been coaching in the NFL since 2007 and is one of the most trusted offensive coordinators in the league amongst NFL teams.
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Jul 25, 2025; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith talks with quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) during drills at training camp at Saint Vincent College. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
Smith’s coaching history in NFL:
The Cardinals are looking towards Smith to help towards the team’s lackluster offensive attack in 2025. The 17-year NFL coaching veteran got his first opportunity to be an offensive coordinator with the Tennessee Titans in 2019. Smith inherited the 27th scoring offense and made them top 10 the following season.
Smith helped unlocked fourth-year running back Derrick Henry to his first Pro Bowl season of his career. The following season was even better for the pairing. Tennessee was second in yards and fourth in points scored, while Henry ran for over 2,000 yards and entered superstardom.
Dec 15, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in the tunnel against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
After a impressive two-year stint as offensive coordinator with the Titans, the Atlanta Falcons wanted to give Smith his first chance at being a NFL head coach. Despite the success in Tennessee, Smith wasn’t able to replicate it in Atlanta. In three seasons, the Falcons went 7-10 in all of them, with never having an above average offensive attack. Smith had Matt Ryan for one season before having to plan around Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder.
Atlanta fired Smith following the 2023 season, leading to Tomlin and Pittsburgh to hiring him as the team’s offensive coordinator. For the past two seasons, Smith has held the role, but again hasn’t coached an offense to be anything above average, with the last two years being 16th and 15th.
Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort speaks to the press from the Arizona Cardinals training center in Tempe after the decision to fire head coach Jonathan Gannon on Jan. 5, 2026. Syndication: Arizona Republic
The Cardinals could use average, being the 23rd ranked scoring offense in the NFL. Arizona failed to score over 30 points once in 2025, a mark Smith achieved three times with Pittsburgh.
General manager Monti Ossenfort has had an extensive coaching search for the past 10 days since the firing of head coach Jonathan Gannon. Smith is the fourth former NFL head coach that Ossenfort will interview for the position, which is interesting given the franchise’s history of hiring first-team head coaches.
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
