New report points the finger directly at Russell Wilson when discussing rumored 'friction' between him and the Steelers
Russell Wilson's end with the Pittsburgh Steelers might be just as messy as it was with the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos. Not only did he close out what is likely to be his last five games with the Steelers with all losses, but since doing so, multiple reports of him and OC Arthur Smith […]
Russell Wilson's end with the Pittsburgh Steelers might be just as messy as it was with the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos.
Not only did he close out what is likely to be his last five games with the Steelers with all losses, but since doing so, multiple reports of him and OC Arthur Smith having a bad relationship have surfaced.
But according to Aditi Kinkhabwala of CBS Sports, that all might have been a part of Wilson's plan…
Russell Wilson leaked Arthur Smith Report?
"I'll say this straight up, Russell Wilson is a very, very nice human being," Kinkhabwala told 93.7 The Fan. "None of this is meant to be malicious in any way. But, he's currently looking for another contract. In talking to coaches and general managers around the league, there's just not a market for him. So when I read something like that, I read this as a desperate ploy to explain why the season ended the way that it did. To assign blame elsewhere, and to perhaps try to create a market here in Pittsburgh. And the truth is, it's just not true."
If you're wondering what Kinkhabwala was referencing, it stems from a bombshell report by Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, who sourced that Wilson and Smith weren't seeing things eye to eye during the offensive outpouring against the Cincinnati Bengals…
According to several sources, Smith did not want Wilson changing plays at the line of scrimmage, like he did in Cincinnati, and deviating from the game plan. Wilson’s desire to attack with the pass and throw down the field clashed with Smith’s run-first mentality, causing philosophical friction between the two.
– Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post Gazette
But that wasn't the first time we heard of the two parties having a dysfunctional relationship, with Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show reporting that Wilson and Smith didn't work great together, at all:
Reports surfaced during the year that offensive coordinator Arthur Smith preferred Fields over Wilson but that was never substantiated. Still, despite Wilson and Smith spending countless hours together after the typical workday watching film and publicly joking about it, a team source recently said that Wilson and Smith did not have a very good working relationship but fought through their differences as best they could. It’s unknown whether or not that relationship will weigh in on the decision moving forward from either side.
– Mark Kaboly, Pat McAfee Show Correspondent
So sure, maybe Wilson is leaking the info to try and prop himself up and make the five-game losing streak look a little better as he aims to sign a new multiyear contract. But if that's true, you can bet he won't be back in Pittsburgh, which may already be set in stone.
