Run-heavy Steelers aim for balance with Rodgers

PITTSBURGH -- Even football marriages are all about compromise. Under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, the Steelers had the fourth-most rushing attempts in 2024. Meanwhile, new Steelers quarterback - and newlywed -- Aaron Rodgers attempted the second-most passes in his previous stop with the Jets in that same span.

Smith, though, downplayed concerns about marrying the two seemingly different offensive philosophies now that the two coexist in Pittsburgh.

"You'd love to be more balanced," Smith said, speaking publicly for the first time since Rodgers signed. "You're not obvious in how you want to attack this defense, what you think their strengths and weaknesses are. That's the game that's played every Sunday. ... we didn't bring Aaron in here - and signed DK [Metcalf] for all that money - to go run the wishbone. So, you know, you try to play to the strengths of your team."

Though the Steelers leaned on the run game, they weren't especially efficient. The team averaged just 4.1 yards per carry, tied for 26th-fewest in the league last season. The Jets offense averaged 4.3 yards per carry, but they ran the ball 170 fewer times.

Some of that, of course, is dictated by game circumstance, and the Jets frequently played from behind during the 2024 season. But during his tenure in Green Bay, Rodgers' offenses were also heavy on pass plays. From 2008-22, the Packers ran the fourth-fewest run plays in the league, according to ESPN Research.

Still, Smith expressed confidence in adapting his offense to this year's roster.

"Our job, especially as a coach, is to play to the strengths of your players," Smith said. "We have our foundation things that don't change, but whether you lean into certain schemes, year after year, you adapt again to the personnel you've got. That's what we try to do, ultimately, to win games and set guys up for success."

Not only is Smith working to adapt his scheme to Rodgers, but the offensive coordinator will also be tasked with deciding just how much freedom Rodgers has to change the play calls at the line of scrimmage.

The quarterback's ability to do that in Smith's offense last season was a point of contention. Smith, though, disputed that narrative Wednesday.

"I know that's a hot button issue here," Smith said. "... Every quarterback is different. Every offensive scheme is different. ... our issue at the end of the year was we weren't good enough. And as a leader, you take accountability, and that's on you, but there's multiple issues, and we have to be playing our best at the end of the year. ... That's where you have to be accountable as a leader. And so obviously, we'll have a different setup this year. Roster wise, obviously new players, DK, Aaron, some of the other guys we brought in. [Kenneth] Gainwell, drafted Kaleb [Johnson]. Every year is a different journey, and it's exciting to have Aaron here and to get to work with him."

As he worked with different coaches in his previous stops, Rodgers was vocal in wanting to maintain the ability to adjust the calls as needed. In his first news conference with the media on Tuesday, though, the quarterback bristled at a question about being able to call audibles in Smith's offense.

"I don't understand that last term, take over when I see fit," Rodgers said, responding to the question. "I've called some two minutes over the years. But the idea that somehow I need to, or have spent most of my career playing outside of an offensive system, is just not correct.

"I'm going to learn the offense, and Arthur and I are going to talk a bunch this summer. If there's things that I like that I'd like to see in the offense, Arthur I'm sure, is going to put it in. He knows how to call a game. I know how to get us in the right spot based on what's called. There's two or three plays called in the huddle sometimes. My job is to get us in the right play."