The QB conundrum is finally put to bed. The Steelers can now look forward to a productive season with Aaron Rodgers leading under center. However, as the team heads into mandatory minicamp, some veterans have concerns about the team’s overall prospects this year. As for OC Arthur Smith, he faces the challenge of working with the new QB who isn’t yet in sync with the system. But apart from A-Rod’s synergy, is the offense all set under Smith? Ben Roethlisberger, for one, has flagged some concerns about the whole thing.

The Steelers have been on an obvious rocky road. The last time they won the playoffs was way back in the 2016 season with Todd Haley as the OC. Since then, there have been three other OCs (including Arthur Smith), and playoff appearances for sure, but no wins. So, what does it mean for a team that is falling short year after year? As Ben Roethlisberger believes, if there’s no turnaround this season, there may be some reason to fret for Arthur Smith.

On the latest edition of Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, Big Ben was joined by his old OC, Randy Fichtner. And the two discussed the Steelers offence and the prospect of Arthur Smith’s future with the team. And Big Ben had a big question mark. As he put it, “Is he the coordinator of the future? That’s going to be the key, too, because if you’re building for the future and you end up saying, okay, Arthur Smith ends up, say they don’t have a great year this year, and then it’s like okay, Arthur’s on the hot seat.” Since Big Ben retired, the Steelers have had a QB problem. But with A-Rod, that issue seems temporarily fixed. And the pressure will be on Arthur Smith to produce clutch offensive plays. If that doesn’t work out, his future may be in question.

Ben Roethlisberger believes if this is a bad year, there’s still another temporary solution. There’s the possibility of a new QB starting next year. But if things don’t get better, it’ll be Arthur Smith’s future on the line. As Big Ben put it, “And then they have another bad year, and then you get rid of the coordinator, and then it’s like, okay, now we’re getting a coordinator in. – So, I think that’s what you have to figure out first… if Arthur Smith and that kind of offense is what you want for the future. Sure. Then you keep him here. You lock him down and you get the quarterback and you build the team…” So, as far as Big Ben is concerned, the front office needs to take a look under the microscope and decide if Arthur Smith’s offense is really the future of the team.

Last season, Smith’s offense ranked fourth in the NFL in rushing attempts. Aaron Rodgers, on the other hand, came from a system in New York that leaned heavily on the pass—he ranked second in attempts despite the Jets’ struggles. On paper, the pairing might seem like a philosophical clash. But Smith, speaking for the first time since Rodgers’ arrival, doesn’t see it that way.

“Of course, we want balance,” he said. “You never want to be one-dimensional. You look at what defenses give you, where they’re weak, and you go after that. But let’s be honest—we didn’t bring Aaron in and sign DK [Metcalf] to that kind of deal, just to hand the ball off every down. We’ll play to our strengths.”

The Steelers ran the ball often last year, but not efficiently. Their 4.1 yards per carry ranked near the bottom of the league. Still, Smith isn’t married to any one system. He’s made it clear that scheme will bend to personnel.

“Our foundation is always there, but the job is to evolve around your players,” Smith said. “Each year you reassess—maybe you shift toward different formations or concepts. The point is to give your guys the best shot to succeed.”

A key question heading into the season: How much autonomy will Rodgers have at the line of scrimmage? Whether Arthur Smith secures his future in Steel City or not will only be determined once the regular season begins. As Big Ben believes, “Preseason’s not going to give us anything.” But it’s not just the offense that’s a cause for worry this season. Even the defense looks a little thin with T.J. Watt’s holdouts raising eyebrows around the league. HC Mike Tomlin, for one, has spoken up on the matter.

TJ Watt’s holdout and Mike Tomlin’s stance

As the NFL player market balloons up with bigger deals coming through for players every single day, there’s a quiet silence in Steel City when it comes to TJ Watt. But he has taken that silence and turned it into a war cry as history is repeating itself. Back in 2021, when he wanted a new deal, he showed up at the training camp but didn’t practise. And this year, he has taken things up a few notches. He is now missing the mandatory minicamps. Mike Garafolo believes “TJ wants his pay at this point. Has not gotten it and is willing to be fined to prove a point right now.” And Steel City has been wondering if that’s a red flag for the team. But Mike Tomlin doesn’t think so.

In the minicamp presser, Mike Tomlin was asked if he had any comments on T.J. Watt’s absence. Tomlin’s response? “No. Certainly, we’d like him to be here. But certainly not surprised by where we are. We’ve expressed a desire to get the business done. He has as well. And so, we’ll continue to work. We’ve been here before.” So Mike Tomlin certainly wants to get the deal done as soon as possible so he can have his whole team together. But is he worried about Watt’s future with the Steelers? A short, crisp “No” from Tomlin will tell you there’s nothing to worry about. And if you ask him whether a deal is taking place soon, or if TJ Watt had indicated previously that he’s going to skip the camp, Tomlin is still keeping the cards close. “Whatever communication transpired between he and I will remain there.”

Even TJ’s brother, JJ Watt, has made his stance crystal clear on the matter. Pay up early, or risk writing bigger checks down the line. The last time, back in 2021, the Steelers waited right until the eve of the regular season before giving TJ Watt that new deal. Are the Steelers planning on doing the same thing this year? Or will TJ Watt get a better and bigger deal soon and return to the team to make some explosive tackles in the preseason itself? Only time and the Steelers front office can tell us for sure.