The NFL offseason is ruthless by design. While the Pittsburgh Steelers are still alive, sharpening game plans and chasing Lombardi dreams, front offices elsewhere are already sweeping offices clean. It's that brutal reality may quietly present the cleanest solution to a persistent problem in recent years: parting ways with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith without the sting of a firing.
As Mike Tomlin and his locker room prepared for war against the Houston Texans, the league delivered a reminder that stability is never guaranteed. Black Monday created a sudden wave of firings. Arthur Smith has been here before.