With new head coach Robert Saleh working to assemble his staff in Tennessee, the Titans could turn to a familiar face at offensive coordinator. They’ve spoken with Steelers OC and former Titans assistant Arthur Smith about the position, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
Smith, 43, was among the coaches the Titans interviewed for their HC job, but he did not rank among their finalists. The Titans ultimately chose Saleh out of a group that also included Matt Nagy and Jeff Hafley. After Hafley agreed to become the Dolphins’ head coach on Monday evening, the Titans hired Saleh several hours later.
Saleh is now on the lookout for an experienced O-coordinator to work with quarterback Cam Ward, and Smith fits the bill. The Memphis-born Smith, who worked in various roles with the Titans from 2011-20, is a two-time NFL offensive coordinator (with the Titans from 2019-20 and the Steelers since 2024). He had a three-year run as the Falcons’ head coach from 2021-23 between his OC stints.
Smith struggled to a 21-30 record in Atlanta, which hired him after he impressed as an assistant under Mike Vrabel in Tennessee. The Titans’ offense was top 10 in scoring in back-to-back seasons under Smith, who guided the unit to a fourth-place ranking in that category and a second-place position in yards in 2020. QB Ryan Tannehill enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career, while running back Derrick Henry eclipsed the 2,000-yard mark on the ground, and wide receivers A.J. Brown and Corey Davis posted solid production.
After the Falcons fired him, Smith resurfaced on Mike Tomlin‘s staff in Pittsburgh. While he’s still a Steelers employee, Smith’s future is uncertain after Tomlin’s resignation. It seems likely he’ll end up elsewhere in 2026. Regardless, it’s fair to say the Steelers have produced middling-at-best results under Smith. With Russell Wilson and Justin Fields as their signal-callers in 2024, the Steelers finished 16th in scoring and 23rd in total offense. They were a similar 15th and 25th, respectively, in those categories with Aaron Rodgers under center this season.
The Steelers haven’t surrounded their QBs with great supporting casts over the past couple of years, and that’s even more true in the Titans’ case. Ward, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, took a league-high 55 sacks as a rookie. Between the struggles of the Titans’ O-line, instability on the sidelines, and a lack of weapons in the passing game (none of the team’s pass catchers reached the 600-yard mark), Ward unsurprisingly endured a difficult rookie year as part of a 3-14 campaign.
Nick Holz, whom Saleh will not retain, acted as a non-play-calling OC for the Titans in 2025. QBs coach Bo Hardegree called the plays, but either Smith or another outside candidate is expected to take on that role next season.