The Pittsburgh Steelers started off the 2024 season strong under the quarterbacking of Justin Fields. They were at 4-2, and most people felt so confident in their trajectory that they thought Head Coach Mike Tomlin was crazy for sitting him in favor of Russell Wilson. However, Wilson elevated the team's play even more during his first seven games in black and gold, and people admitted they might have been wrong, saying Tomlin might be a genius. There was even talk about him being AP Coach of the Year.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin encourages Russell Wilson.
That all came crashing down around Tomlin's head when the Steelers lost their last five games, including losing again in the postseason. There was plenty of blame to go around during those losses - the offensive line looked like Swiss cheese, the receivers were struggling, and the defense looked exhausted and inconsistent. That didn't stop Wilson's critics from coming out of the woodwork to complain about how he has lost it and is no longer a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback.
Then a report broke from Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show that Wilson and Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith weren't getting along. He said they didn't have a good working relationship despite the outward perception of team spirit and cooperation. Kaboly said they did the best they could, as professionals, to set their differences aside for the good of the team. He said that what the public saw was a facade - them laughing on the sidelines, spending countless hours reviewing film, and the friction might have been part of why the offense struggled so much. Kaboly recently joined The PM Team w/Poni and Mueller on 93.7 The Fan, and they asked him how they reconciled bringing Wilson back when they didn't get along. Would Wilson just start playing the way Smith wanted? Does it just magically get rebuilt?
"No, I think that's the case of Mike allowing Arthur to do what he wants to do more," said Kaboly.
This made show host Andrew Fillipponi guffaw. He said that's never happened in the past, and he sees no chance of it happening now -- not even for Wilson. The subject of who controls the play-calling isn't a new one. Many media members claimed their hands were tied as fans came down on Smith and Teryl Austin for the team's late-season slide. That included Kaboly, who said when you watch closely, you can see that Tomlin has his "finger in everything." He added that he almost feels sorry for the coordinators because Tomlin doesn't fully allow them to do their jobs.
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Steelers' Russell Wilson talking with Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith.
Wilson told the media that he loves being in Pittsburgh and his plan has always been to return. It seems likely that Fields will have suitors from other teams, and Wilson has been linked to the Las Vegas Raiders and a reunion with his old coach, Pete Carroll. That means that there are a lot of variables that could come into play. Kaboly feels it will come down to which situation makes the most sense for the team and the quarterback.
Do The Steelers And Russell Wilson Make Sense?
Wilson's critics have been growing since things began to fall apart with the Seattle Seahawks. Besides his propensity to take sacks, one of the biggest criticisms of Wilson is that he is too short. This was why he dropped in the draft coming out of college; many experts feel it continues to plague him.
If Wilson's height limits his ability to see throwing lanes, that's a real problem, mainly because he isn't as mobile at 36 as he was when he was taking the Seahawks to Super Bowls. Coupling that with Smith and him not seeing eye to eye on how the offense runs raises questions about how much sense it makes to bring him back to the Steel City.
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Steelers' Justin Fields and Russell Wilson sit on the bench during a game.
Do you think Smith and Wilson could get along well enough to run a smooth offense? Tell us what you think below!
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