Run-heavy Steelers aim for balance with Rodgers

PITTSBURGH -- Even shot marriages are each astir compromise. Under violative coordinator Arthur Smith, the Steelers had the fourth-most rushing attempts successful 2024. Meanwhile, caller Steelers backmost - and newlywed -- Aaron Rodgers attempted the second-most passes successful his erstwhile halt with the Jets successful that aforesaid span.

Smith, though, downplayed concerns astir marrying the 2 seemingly antithetic violative philosophies present that the 2 coexist successful Pittsburgh.

"You'd emotion to beryllium much balanced," Smith said, speaking publically for the archetypal clip since Rodgers signed. "You're not evident successful however you privation to onslaught this defense, what you deliberation their strengths and weaknesses are. That's the crippled that's played each Sunday. ... we didn't bring Aaron successful present - and signed DK [Metcalf] for each that wealth - to spell tally the wishbone. So, you know, you effort to play to the strengths of your team."

Though the Steelers leaned connected the tally game, they weren't particularly efficient. The squad averaged conscionable 4.1 yards per carry, tied for 26th-fewest successful the league past season. The Jets discourtesy averaged 4.3 yards per carry, but they ran the shot 170 less times.

Some of that, of course, is dictated by crippled circumstance, and the Jets often played from down during the 2024 season. But during his tenure successful Green Bay, Rodgers' offenses were besides dense connected walk plays. From 2008-22, the Packers ran the fourth-fewest tally plays successful the league, according to ESPN Research.

Still, Smith expressed assurance successful adapting his discourtesy to this year's roster.

"Our job, particularly arsenic a coach, is to play to the strengths of your players," Smith said. "We person our instauration things that don't change, but whether you thin into definite schemes, twelvemonth aft year, you accommodate again to the unit you've got. That's what we effort to do, ultimately, to triumph games and acceptable guys up for success."

Not lone is Smith moving to accommodate his strategy to Rodgers, but the violative coordinator volition besides beryllium tasked with deciding conscionable however overmuch state Rodgers has to alteration the play calls astatine the enactment of scrimmage.

The quarterback's quality to bash that successful Smith's discourtesy past play was a constituent of contention. Smith, though, disputed that communicative Wednesday.

"I cognize that's a blistery fastener contented here," Smith said. "... Every backmost is different. Every violative strategy is different. ... our contented astatine the extremity of the twelvemonth was we weren't bully enough. And arsenic a leader, you instrumentality accountability, and that's connected you, but there's aggregate issues, and we person to beryllium playing our champion astatine the extremity of the year. ... That's wherever you person to beryllium accountable arsenic a leader. And truthful obviously, we'll person a antithetic setup this year. Roster wise, evidently caller players, DK, Aaron, immoderate of the different guys we brought in. [Kenneth] Gainwell, drafted Kaleb [Johnson]. Every twelvemonth is simply a antithetic journey, and it's breathtaking to person Aaron present and to get to enactment with him."

As helium worked with antithetic coaches successful his erstwhile stops, Rodgers was vocal successful wanting to support the quality to set the calls arsenic needed. In his archetypal quality league with the media connected Tuesday, though, the backmost bristled astatine a question astir being capable to telephone audibles successful Smith's offense.

"I don't recognize that past term, instrumentality implicit erstwhile I spot fit," Rodgers said, responding to the question. "I've called immoderate 2 minutes implicit the years. But the thought that someway I request to, oregon person spent astir of my vocation playing extracurricular of an violative system, is conscionable not correct.

"I'm going to larn the offense, and Arthur and I are going to speech a clump this summer. If there's things that I similar that I'd similar to spot successful the offense, Arthur I'm sure, is going to enactment it in. He knows however to telephone a game. I cognize however to get america successful the close spot based connected what's called. There's 2 oregon 3 plays called successful the huddle sometimes. My occupation is to get america successful the close play."