The Steelers will have a new starting quarterback in 2025. They'll also have a new No. 1 wide receiver. And while the projected starting running back isn't new to the team, he'll perhaps be filling, at the very least, a larger role within the offense.
Such is life in today's NFL.
With Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf and Jaylen Warren replacing the combination of Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, George Pickens and Najee Harris, respectively, the task for second-year offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is to bring the entire package together by the time the Steelers take the field Sept. 7 at New York against the Jets.
But Smith is accustomed to dealing with these kind of challenges, having dealt with similar circumstances in previous stops at Tennessee and Atlanta.
"That's the situation in front of us," Smith said Wednesday on the second day of the Steelers' mandatory minicamp here at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. "I loved working with Naj and appreciated what Russ and Justin did, and George, but that's just a life that we're in right now. In the NFL. There's turnover.
"It didn't happen that way in terms of all the acquisitions, but in '19 (in Tennessee), it happened in the early part of the year with (Ryan) Tannehill. We had drafted AJ Brown, Derek (Henry) the year before, but, Dion Lewis was playing in front of him, and so it felt like we had three new (starters). It was my first year calling it. In Atlanta, every year we had a different starting quarterback, Matt Ryan to Marcus (Mariota) to Des(mond Ridder) and playing (Taylor) Heinicke a little bit. So, I've done it before. That's our situation, and we're excited about it."
Part of that excitement comes from the fact the Steelers aren't turning things over to the unknown.
In Rodgers, they have a four-time NFL MVP who has been in the league for 20 seasons, while Metcalf is a two-time Pro Bowl receiver in his own right. Warren, meanwhile, has been a valuable member of the Steelers the past three seasons, rushing for nearly 1,700 yards.
Obviously, much of the change centers on what happens at quarterback.
Rodgers signed with the Steelers late last week and Smith has only had him in the practice field for a couple of days. But the two have a relationship through mutual friends, including Green Bay head coach Matt Lafleur, whom Smith worked with in Tennessee.
"I've got to know Aaron outside of football the last couple of years," Smith siad. "You're talking about one of the all-time great quarterbacks and of the things he's accomplished in this league. I've really enjoyed getting to know him as a player, the relationship with the football stuff. Just really excited to have him here. It's going to be a fun journey. I know we're only a couple days in, but he's been awesome."
Smith looks forward to tailoring his offense to fit the skillsets of the new acquisitions. While Rodgers was signed in free agency, the Steelers acquired Metcalf via trade from the Seattle Seahawks.
"You evolve depending on who you've got, personnel-wise and strategically, things you want to evolve to," Smith said. "And that's a lot of times how rosters get made. You see it through offseason acquisitions, free agency, draft. So when you put those strategies in place, we've evolved every year. You have to. A lot of times, out of necessity, we had a lot of different quarterbacks with a lot of different skillsets, and our job, especially as a coach, is to play to the strengths of your players.
"We have our foundation things that don't change, but whether you lean into certain schemes, you have to adapt again to the personnel you've got. That's what we try to do, ultimately, to win games and set guys up for success."
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The key, according to Smith, is not just picking the brain of the players in regard to what they do well, but asking others who have worked with them in the past, as well.
In the case of Rodgers, he could talk to LaFleur, current Steelers wide receivers coach Zach Azzani, who was with the quarterback in 2023 with the Jets, or quarterbacks coach Tom Arth, who spent an offseason with the Packers in 2006, Rodgers' second NFL season.
In the case of Metcalf, he needs only call up Brown, Metcalf's teammate at Ole Miss.
"I've talked to a lot of people, just as Aaron probably talked to a lot of people too," Smith said. "It's pretty normal with any player you've had. Same thing with DK. I had AJ Brown. They're good buddies and college teammates. And he'd done his homework. I'd done my homework. That's why you need to do it on the front end when you're studying the draft and know the league. Take opinions from everybody. But you know, circumstances change, and you get to the point where you really get to know somebody, and we'll spend a ton of time together. I'm looking forward to it."
The point is to build an offense capable of winning as many games as possible, whether that's by scoring 30 points per game or 20.
The Steelers improved in Smith's first season as offensive coordinator, going from scoring 17.9 points per game to 22.4.
But the bottom line is winning. Smith doesn't care how the offense helps generate wins. He just wants the wins.
"On Sunday, when it's 17-16 and you get the win, but you're chasing more," Smith said. "We're trying to be the best version, and we want to be the most explosive offensive league. And we have got a lot of work to do, but that's the goal every week. I'm not going to feel great if we lose a game 42-35 and we have 500 yards. That's not wired that way. I'm not one of those guys that's big about stats. Oh, we did our job.
"It's a team game. It's the ultimate team game. You want to be explosive every year. We've got to improve as an offense, and it'll be a long journey during the season."
