The Pittsburgh Steelers have new direction on offense in 2024 after the team parted ways with former offensive coordinator Matt Canada and hired new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith earlier this offseason.
The Matt Canada era will not be remembered fondly, to say the least. After going from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator in 2021, the Steelers' offense saw finishes of 21st, 26th and 28th in scoring over his two-plus years at the helm.
One person who sounds happy to see a new face is veteran guard James Daniels, who noted that Smith already has the "complete trust" of his players, while also noting, "I don't think we've had that before."
“Obviously it’s the scheme," Daniels said when asked what's different about Smith, according to Aaron Becker of Yardbarker. "I think everyone has complete trust in him and I don’t think we’ve had that before. So everyone trusts Art and he’s been doing a good job so far.”
#Steelers veteran guard James Daniels on what has changed with Arthur Smith as OC.
— Aaron Becker (@Aaron_M_Becker) August 6, 2024
“Obviously it’s the scheme. … I think everyone has complete trust in him and I don’t think we’ve had that before. So everyone trusts Art and he’s been doing a good job so far.” pic.twitter.com/wCIjtqKkYZ
While Daniels didn't mention him by name, that is no doubt a shot at Canada, who was nothing short of a disaster during his tenure as the play-caller.
Thankfully, Smith brings a track record of success with him to Pittsburgh. He was at the helm of a very successful offense with the Tennessee Titans from 2019 through 2020, and he accomplished that with Ryan Tannehill at quarterback.
Of course, this guy named Derrick Henry was pretty helpful, also.
In what is a similar situation to the one he had in Tennessee with Tannehill, Smith will be working with quarterbacks looking to revive their careers in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, with Wilson likely to get the first crack at it.
The best thing Smith has going for him in his first year is that Canada set the bar extremely low. It won't take much for the Steelers to see improvement offensively, which would do wonders for a team that managed to make the playoffs in 2023 in spite of its offense.
