Even in football, relationships require compromise. Under the guidance of offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, the Steelers recorded the fourth-highest number of rushing attempts in 2024.
At the same time, their new quarterback, Aaron Rodgers—who recently got married—threw the second-most passes during his last season with the Jets.
However, Smith minimized worries about blending these two different offensive styles now that they are both part of the Steelers’ strategy in Pittsburgh.
“You want to find a better balance,” Smith stated during his first public comments since Rodgers joined the team. “You want to keep your game plan unpredictable against this defense and consider their strengths and weaknesses.
That’s what we think about every Sunday… We didn’t bring Aaron here—and sign DK [Metcalf] for such a big contract—to run a wishbone offense. So, we aim to utilize our team’s strengths.”
Although the Steelers relied on their running game, they were not very effective. The team averaged only 4.1 yards per carry, which ranked them 26th in the league last season. In comparison, the Jets’ offense managed to average 4.3 yards per carry, but they attempted to run the ball 170 times less.
Some of this difference is due to the situation in games, as the Jets often found themselves trailing during the 2024 season.
However, when Rodgers played for Green Bay, his teams also favored passing plays. From 2008 to 2022, the Packers had one of the lowest numbers of rushing attempts in the league.
Despite this, Smith is confident in adjusting his offense to fit this year’s team. “As a coach, our role is to focus on what our players do best,” Smith explained. “We have basic principles that stay the same, but we need to adjust our strategies each year based on our players. Our ultimate goal is to win games and help our players succeed.”
Smith will not only work on tailoring his scheme for Rodgers but will also need to decide how much freedom Rodgers has to change plays at the line of scrimmage.
Last season, there was some debate about whether Rodgers could do that effectively within Smith’s offense. However, Smith challenged that idea during a discussion on Wednesday.
“I know this is a big topic here,” Smith mentioned. “… Every quarterback has their own style. Each offensive plan is unique. … Our problem at the end of the season was that we weren’t good enough.
As a leader, you must take responsibility for that, and it falls on you. However, there are several issues to address, and we need to be performing at our best when the season wraps up. … This is where being accountable as a leader comes into play.
Clearly, we’ll have a different arrangement this year with new players like DK and Aaron, along with others we’ve added: [Kenneth] Gainwell and rookie Kaleb [Johnson]. Every year brings a new adventure, and it’s exciting to have Aaron here to work alongside him.”
During his time with various coaches in the past, Rodgers expressed his desire to keep the option to change plays when necessary. On Tuesday, however, during his first press conference as a Steeler, he reacted strongly to a question about making audibles in Smith’s system.
“I don’t really get that last term, ‘take over when I see fit,'” Rodgers replied to the question. “I’ve run some two-minute drills over the years. But saying that I’ve spent most of my career playing outside an offensive system isn’t accurate. “I’m going to learn the offense, and Arthur and I will discuss things often this summer.
If there are aspects I like that I’d want included in the offense, I’m sure Arthur will make it happen. He knows how to call a game well. I understand how to position us correctly based on what’s called. Sometimes there are two or three plays set in the huddle.”My job is to get us in the right play.”
