An NFL analyst recently said the play style and preferences of new Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers could clash with those of his offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith. The relationship between a starting quarterback and offensive coordinator isn’t like any other on the team.
While the coordinator isn’t a position coach, he must stay in lockstep with the quarterback. For any offense to click, those two need to work together and stay aligned. Personality clashes happen, but can these polar opposites coexist in the Steel City?
Aaron Rodgers’ Potential Philosophy Clash With Pittsburgh Steelers OC Could Loom Large
By now, everyone knows Rodgers marches to the beat of his own drum, woodwind, and probably an orchestra too. The future Hall of Fame quarterback likes to dictate where the offense goes and how it gets there. With that résumé, most offensive coordinators know they’ll have to adjust.
So could his time in Pittsburgh start off with tension? Former NFL quarterback-turned-analyst Chase Daniel isn’t so sure the fit is seamless.
“In my opinion, and watching film. They’re not similar,” Daniel argued on the Athletic’s “Scoop City” podcast. “Arthur Smith, big under center, big run game, motions, shifts, timing, stuff like that. Aaron Rodgers, he wants to sit in the shotgun. He said this on record. He does like a bunch of motions. All this stuff. He likes to see it. Who’s going to win out on this?”
Aaron Rodgers is officially a Steeler.
But what does that really mean for a Pittsburgh offense that fell apart late last season?
No returning leading passer. No leading rusher. No leading receiver.Rodgers brings the name — but does he bring enough? pic.twitter.com/J3oBPPvq1u
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) June 5, 2025
PFSN Offense+ metrics show it’s clear who might need to bend. The Steelers ranked 25th overall last year with a D+ grade. They leaned heavily on a run game that didn’t work, and the team rotated quarterbacks midseason. The pressure to improve the scheme falls on Smith.
Meanwhile, the New York Jets, Rodgers’ former team, ranked 19th. Daniel’s point about the run game matters. Smith’s system starts with pounding the rock. In six years as a play-caller or head coach, his teams ranked top 10 in rushing attempts five times, but only made the playoffs in three of those seasons.
As for the passing game, only one of Smith’s teams, the 2021 Falcons, ranked in the top 20 for attempts through the air.
Now the Steelers are counting on Rodgers to take them back to the playoffs. That means Smith has to adjust. Can he give up enough of his usual game plan to meet Rodgers in the middle?