BroBible
Russell Wilson turned things around in a big way after getting a change of scenery in Pittsburgh, but the Steelers once again saw their season come to a fairly disappointing end. One report that subsequently surfaced suggested the QB was being held back by offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, but an NFL insider seems to think Wilson played a role in that allegedly false info coming to light.
The Broncos brought the Russell Wilson Era to a merciful end after two fairly disastrous seasons when they released him last spring before he was picked up by the Steelers, who only had to fork over $1.2 million for the one-year contract he signed ahead of the 2024 campaign.
That deal was finalized a day before Pittsburgh acquired Justin Fields from the Bears, a smart move that gave them multiple options at QB and provided the former first-round pick who’d failed to find his footing in Chicago with the opportunity to benefit from the guidance of a Super Bowl-winning veteran.
Wilson won the starting job at training camp but fell victim to a calf injury that led to him sitting out the first six games of the season. The Steelers got off to a 4-2 start with Fields at the helm but nonetheless decided to switch things up once his teammate was healthy, which seemed to be a pretty good call when you consider they went 6-1 during Wilson’s first seven games as the starter.
Unfortunately, the wheels fell off at the end of the regular season, as the Steelers lost their last four games while seeing Wilson’s offensive numbers drop off a cliff. They were still able to make the playoffs, but they extended their ignominious one-and-done streak in the postseason to five straight appearances after losing to the Ravens in the first round.
Earlier this week, Gerry Dulac of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published an article outlining a supposed rift between Wilson and Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, citing “multiple sources” who claimed Wilson was told to stop calling his own audibles and deviating from the coach’s game plan prior to the aforementioned four-game skid.
However, things took an interesting turn on Wednesday when Aditi Kinkhabwala, an NFL insider with CBS Sports, asserted the story was “patently false” and “completely inaccurate” during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan.
Kinkhabwala hedged a bit by implying Dulac had failed to speak to other sources who could have helped him paint a more precise picture but seemed convinced Wilson and members of his camp were responsible for trying to promote a narrative that would make him more attractive to potential suitors in free agency, saying:
“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...
