Steelers' sudden shift in support of Justin Fields reportedly stems from "friction" involving Russell Wilson and coach
You don't have to read between the lines to see that there has been a shift in rhetoric out of Pittsburgh. Whether its from Mike Tomlin, Art Rooney, or detailed reporting, it's obvious that the team has begun to favor Justin Fields over Russell Wilson in terms of who would be back in 2025. To […]
You don't have to read between the lines to see that there has been a shift in rhetoric out of Pittsburgh.
Whether its from Mike Tomlin, Art Rooney, or detailed reporting, it's obvious that the team has begun to favor Justin Fields over Russell Wilson in terms of who would be back in 2025.
To this point, many believed that was because of Wilson's five-game losing streak. And while that may be a factor, there is reportedly more to the story….
Russell Wilson and Arthur Smith butt heads on playcalling
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
It's not the first that we have heard of a disgruntled pairing between Russell Wilson and Arthur Smith. Despite both of them saying they had a strong working relationship, others inside the building seemed to disagree….
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
Wilson would go on to downplay the report, saying that he and Arthur had no issue and everyone looks to point a finger when things go wrong or in the case of the Steelers, you lose five straight…
"Yea, I like Arthur," Russell Wilson told the Pat McAfee Show when asked about the report of he and the OC having beef. "Anytime you lose a game or two, or whatever goes on, people always try to tear things down. I think Arthur is a great coach. Obviously he has been a head coach, and we love trying to find ways to compete every day and just get better. So, he's a great coach."
At this point, it seems like the only person in Russell Wilson's corner is the man who brought him in to begin with: Mike Tomlin. And as it pertains to making decisions in Pittsburgh, that may be the only friend Wilson needs.
