Arthur William Smith (born May 27, 1982) is an American football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2021 to 2023 and as an assistant coach for the Tennessee Titans during the 2010s.
Arthur Smith, previous head coach for the Atlanta Falcons for three years (2021-23), is in his first season as the Steelers’ offensive coordinator in 2024. This marks his 16th year in the National Football League coaching ranks.
Under Smith’s guidance, the Falcons led the NFL in fewest penalties (2022), ranked third in successful play rate on rushing attempts, based on EPA, (2022), finished third in rushing yards/game (2022), ninth in rushing yards/game (2023), 10th in third-down conversion rate (2022), 13th in third-down conversion rate (2023) and 13th in passing yards/attempt (2023).
Atlanta eclipsed 400 total yards of offense on six occasions in 2023, tied for the fourth-most in single-season franchise history. The Falcons and Miami were the only teams in the NFL to finish the season with a top-10 rushing attack and a top-five opponent pressure rate. Bijan Robinson finished the season second among rookies with 1,463 yards from scrimmage. He recorded the most yards from scrimmage by a rookie in franchise history (1,463) and led all NFL rookies with 976 rushing yards, while adding 487 receiving yards and eight TDs (four rushing, four receiving). Robinson set the franchise record for most receptions by a rookie running back (58) and became the fifth rookie running back in League history to record at least 1,400 yards from scrimmage, 55 receptions and four receiving TDs. He also registered the most games with 100 yards from scrimmage by a rookie in franchise history (six).
Kyle Pitts (667) and Jonnu Smith (582) are the first pair of tight ends to both have 500+ receiving yards in the same season since Zach Ertz (916) and Dallas Goedert (607) in 2019 with Philadelphia.
Atlanta’s rushing attack averaged 74.5 more rushing yards per game in 2022 than it did in 2021, resulting in the largest one-season improvement by any team since at least 2001. Additionally, Tyler Allgeier became the sixth rookie in the NFL, selected in the fifth round-or-later, to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards over the past 20 seasons.
First-round selection Drake London finished his rookie season in 2022 with 72 receptions for 866 yards and four TDs, surpassing Pitts (68 in 2021) for the most receptions by a rookie in franchise history. With Allgeier (1,035 rushing) and London (866 receiving), the Falcons became the fourth team to have a 1,000-yard rookie rusher and an 800-yard rookie receiver in the same season in NFL history.
In his first year at the helm, running back Cordarrelle Patterson set single-season then career highs for rushing yards (618), receiving yards (548), rushing TDs (six) and receiving TDs (five), and became the first player to record at least five rushing and five receiving TDs in a single season in franchise history.
Additionally, Pitts became the second rookie tight end to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in NFL history, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (1,076 yards in 1961). Pitts broke the single-season franchise record for most receiving yards by a tight end with 1,026, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (930 in 2012). He also became the first rookie tight end selected to the Pro Bowl since 2002 (Jeremy Shockey, N.Y. Giants).
Prior to his tenure in Atlanta, Smith orchestrated one of the NFL’s top offenses with Tennessee in 2019 and 2020.
In 2020, the Titans ranked in the top five in the League in plays of 50+ yards (10, 1st), pass plays of 50+ yards (8, 1st), offensive EPA (140.01, 2nd), total offense (396.4, 2nd), rushing offense (168.1, 2nd), yards/rush (5.2, 2nd), red-zone efficiency (75.0, 2nd), rushing EPA (-0.42, 3rd), runs of 20+ yards (20, 3rd), yards/play (6.2, 4th), passing EPA (139.28, 4th), runs of 10+ yards (70, 4th) and third-down conversion rate (46.2, 5th).
Smith guided a Tennessee offense that averaged 2.86 points/drive in 2020, which not only led the NFL, but also ranks as the eighth-best single-season mark in the League since 2000. The Titans scored TDs on 35.9% of its drives that season, which ranks as the fourth-best single-season mark in the League since 2000.
Smith also oversaw one of the most potent rushing attacks as Derrick Henry became just the eighth player in League history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season. Henry’s 2,027 rushing yards ranks fifth all-time and paced the Titans to the League’s second-best rushing offense in 2020.
Tennessee was among the League’s best in the red zone in Smith’s two-years as offensive coordinator. The Titans’ 75.6 (2019) and 75.0 (2020) red-zone TD percentages are the fourth and fifth-best single-season marks in the NFL since 2000.
Smith also helped revitalize the career of Ryan Tannehill. In two seasons running Smith’s offense, Tannehill started 26 games and registered 6,561 passing yards with 55 TDs, 13 interceptions and a 110.6 passer rating, while completing 67.3 percent of his passes. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career in 2019 after leading the NFL with a 117.5 passer rating and was named the Comeback Player of the Year by both the Associated Press and the Pro Football Writers of America.
Smith also fostered the development of A.J. Brown, who eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons in the NFL and scored 19 TDs in 30 games.
In 2019, Tennessee led the NFL in red-zone efficiency (75.6 percent), ranked third in rushing offense (138.9 yards per game), and fourth in yards/play (6.12). The Titans’ percentage in the red zone was the highest since the 2013 Denver Broncos (76.1). Tannehill and Henry became the fourth set of NFL teammates to lead the League in passer rating and rushing yards, respectively, since the current passer rating system was implemented in 1973.
Smith served under four different Titans head coaches, working his way up from his 2011 position of defensive assistant/quality control coach. He also spent time as an offensive assistant/quality control coach (2012), offensive line/tight ends assistant (2013), and assistant tight ends coach (2014-15) before taking over as tight ends coach during the 2015 season and holding the position through 2018.
Prior to joining the Titans, Smith spent two years as the defensive quality control coach for the Washington Commanders under Joe Gibbs (2007-08). In addition to his coaching role, he also worked as a college scouting assistant in Washington in 2007. In 2010, Smith worked at Ole Miss as an administrative assistant/defensive intern, working primarily with the linebackers.
Born and raised in Memphis, Tenn., Smith graduated from North Carolina where he played offensive line and later joined the Tar Heels coaching staff as a graduate assistant (2006), working with the offensive line.
Smith and his wife, Allison, have two sons, Tanner and Liam, and one daughter, Sophie.
Steelers Bolster Special Teams with Signing of Kickoff Return King Cordarrelle Patterson
In a move signaling a strategic shift towards dominating the field position battle, the Pittsburgh Steelers have swooped in to secure the services of the NFL’s premier kickoff return specialist, Cordarrelle Patterson. The electrifying former Atlanta Falcons running back brings with him a wealth of experience and a record-breaking resume that has left opponents in awe.
Reports from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport indicate that the Steelers and Patterson have inked a lucrative two-year, $6 million deal, cementing his place in the black and gold as they gear up for an exciting season ahead.
Patterson’s arrival in Pittsburgh is set to inject a jolt of energy into the Steelers’ special teams unit, which is poised to become a game-changer in the upcoming campaign. With a knack for turning every kickoff into a potential scoring opportunity, Patterson boasts an impressive record as the NFL’s all-time leader in kickoff return touchdowns. His breathtaking speed, elusive moves, and uncanny ability to find openings in opposing coverage have made him a nightmare for defenses across the league.
For the Steelers, Patterson represents more than just a dynamic return specialist. His versatility as a playmaker adds an extra dimension to their offensive arsenal, providing head coach Mike Tomlin with a valuable weapon to exploit mismatches and create scoring chances. Whether lining up in the backfield, split out wide, or returning kicks, Patterson’s mere presence on the field commands attention and demands respect from adversaries.
Speaking on the acquisition, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert expressed his excitement at adding such a prolific talent to the roster. “Cordarrelle Patterson is a game-changer, plain and simple. His track record speaks for itself, and we believe he can make a significant impact for us in all phases of the game,” Colbert remarked.
Meanwhile, Patterson himself expressed his enthusiasm for joining the storied franchise and embracing the challenge of contributing to their winning tradition. “I’m thrilled to be joining the Pittsburgh Steelers and eager to do whatever it takes to help this team succeed,” Patterson stated. “I’m grateful for the opportunity and ready to hit the ground running.”
As the Steelers gear up for the new season, the addition of Cordarrelle Patterson looms large as a testament to their commitment to excellence and their relentless pursuit of victory. With Patterson in their ranks, Pittsburgh’s special teams unit is primed to become a force to be reckoned with, setting the stage for thrilling moments and unforgettable highlights on the road to glory.
Patterson has posted nine kickoff returns for touchdowns since entering the league in 2013, three times more than his closest competition in that span. He is a seven-time All-Pro as a kick returner (four as a first-teamer and three as a second-teamer).
If anyone was going to benefit from the NFL’s kickoff rule changes, it was Patterson. The league has seen kickoff returns increasingly give way to fair kicks over the past several years, diminishing Patterson’s value, but the new rules heavily incentivize having a good return man.
The kicking team still kicks from its 35-yard line, but all players save for the kicker line up at the opponent’s 40. Meanwhile, at least nine members of the receiving team must line up between the 30- and 35-yard lines, with a maximum of two returners between the end zone and 20-yard line.
The lined-up players cannot move until the ball lands or is caught by a receiving player.
Any kick landing in the “landing zone” (between the goal line and 20-yard line) must be returned. If a kick bounces from the landing zone into the end zone, it must be returned or downed for a touchback to the 20-yard line. If a kick lands short of the landing zone, the receiving team gets the ball at its own 40. If a kick lands in the end zone or goes out the back of the end zone, the receiving team gets the ball at its own 30.
It all sounds very complicated, but the upshot is teams are going to have to start returning kicks again. Teams were perfectly fine calling for a fair kick in most situations, as the risk of a fumble outweighed the reward of a long return or touchdown, especially when a touchback gives them the ball with acceptable field position at the 25-yard line.
Now, kickers can aim for just short of the end zone and force the other team to return the ball, while the previously risky high-speed collisions between blockers and tacklers become safer without a full running start.
The 33-year-old Patterson is coming off the quietest season of his career as a returner with only seven returns and a career-low 21.9 yards per return, but he posted 31.6 yards per return the previous year.
The deal will also reunite Patterson with Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who coached Patterson as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
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