The Pittsburgh Steelers enter the next phase of their offseason on Tuesday, May 21 with organized team activities.
It will be the first chance to see offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s new responsibilities in greater detail.
It seems like several Steelers players are fast catching on to Smith’s ideas thus far.
On May 20, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic tweeted on X, saying that players “love Arthur Smith’s offense.”
The guys on the Steelers, from what I’ve heard, adore Arthur Smith’s offense. One person informed me it’s not real.
“One told me that it is unreal,” he wrote. “Going to be interesting to put eyes on it. First day of OTAs start on Tuesday. The Steelers will be on the field for practices for the next 4 weeks.”
Steelers Aiming for Fresh Start With Offensive Overhaul
Smith’s hire was just one of several offseason decisions taken by the Steelers in 2024 to overhaul their offensive line.
The quarterback room was completely remodeled, which was the biggest modification.
The Steelers let Mason Rudolph depart in free agency, traded for Kenny Pickett, and released Mitch Trubisky. They traded for former Chicago Bear Justin Fields and signed former Denver Bronco Russell Wilson in their stead.
The Steelers also traded former top target Diontae Johnson. Along with depth additions like Van Jefferson and Quiz Watkins, Roman Wilson, a third-round draft choice, will be joining the receivers room this season.
Roman Wilson is expected to move up to the No. 2 spot behind George Pickens, but the team may explore other options, according to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Fittipaldo stated on the North Shore Drive Podcast on May 20 that “if he can step up and be the No. 2, I think naturally, Quez Watkins and Scotty Miller and all those other guys will kind of find their home.” “I believe that later in the summer, the trade rumors and all that other stuff will resurface here if Roman Wilson doesn’t step up and take that No. 2 job.”
With the addition of tackle Troy Fautanu, guard Mason McCormick, and center Zach Frazier to the draft, the Steelers offensive line is probably going to look very different.
Russell Wilson Faces Skepticism Entering 13th NFL Season
Upcoming OTAs in Pittsburgh will only scratch the surface in revealing what the Steelers offense will look like by September.
Many questions surround Russell Wilson and how he’ll rebound after finding little success in 2 seasons with Denver.
The Broncos went 11-19 in games Wilson started. His second season in Denver was decidedly better than his first.
Wilson passed for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions on 297 completions in 2023.
Among those who aren’t prepared to embrace the Steelers’ new offense is Bleacher Report.The Steelers offense was ranked 26th out of all NFL offenses following the draft in an article published on May 17.
They expressed hope about the offensive line improvements, but they are concerned about Wilson’s advanced age.
“Mr. Unlimited will turn 35 this season, and there are a lot of new players learning a new system under Smith, but Wilson is a noticeable improvement over Pickett.”
In Week 2, when the Packers play the Broncos, Wilson will have a chance to make an impression on his old team.
