In 2024, in the first year with Arthur Smith as their offensive coordinator, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense made significant strides. However, they still weren’t amazing. Not all of that was Smith’s fault, with some of the Steelers’ personnel being an issue. However, there was room for improvement. With so many changes coming to their offense, Smith’s group will likely look a little different this year. Darnell Washington confirmed as much.
“I feel like it changed a lot,” Washington said Wednesday via Pittsburgh’s DSEN on YouTube. “Even formations, yesterday they had me outside running the slant route. Formations, they got me single receiver, three-by-two by-two, and just different route concepts. Things like that.”
While the Steelers’ offensive coaching staff hasn’t changed massively, they’ve gone through a lot of overhauls. For instance, they’ve got a totally new quarterback room for the second year in a row. They also lost their leading rusher and receiver from last season.
Therefore, it isn’t surprising that their offense looks different. Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, and Kaleb Johnson are different players compared to Russell Wilson, George Pickens, and Najee Harris. Smith’s offensive philosophy will likely remain largely the same, but these adjustments could help things flow better with the new players he has.
It sounds like Washington could have a larger role in Pittsburgh’s offense, too. Historically, Smith has liked utilizing tight ends, and that was evident last year. After an underwhelming rookie season as a receiver, Washington’s productivity stepped up in 2024. While he still wasn’t a significant factor in the passing game, it sounds like his role could expand this year.
This offseason, Washington has talked about how he expects to be more impactful in the passing game. Hearing that he’s being moved around a little more could be a sign of things to come. The Steelers are lacking in the playmaker department on offense. Perhaps Washington could help fix that problem.
Still, it’s only mandatory minicamp. Once training camp rolls around, a fuller idea of what Pittsburgh’s offense could look like this year might form. They should have a chance to improve on what they did last year, especially if Rodgers can give them an upgrade under center.
