Russell Wilson's relationship with Arthur Smith could lead to early Steelers exit

The Pittsburgh Steelers began the season 10-3, with the look of a legitimate contender in a cutthroat AFC North. It ended with five straight losses, including a 28-14 thwacking at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens in their Wild Card matchup.

Not much went right down the stretch. Pittsburgh's offense collapsed, the defense seemed to lose its bite, and the vibes shifted in alarming ways. Russell Wilson, after what felt like a late-career resurgence, hit a wall we all should've seen coming. Now his future is in doubt, with a move from Pittsburgh looking far more likely than it felt, say, six weeks ago.

Wilson committed five turnovers over the last five games of the campaign (three INT, two fumbles). The Steelers' offensive execution just wasn't up to snuff, and there was a clear disconnect between Arthur Smith's game plan and Pittsburgh's personnel. The issues that held Atlanta back in Smith's final season as head coach wound up impacting the Steelers.

As it turns out, Smith and Wilson did not have the smoothest relationship in 2024. It was their first time working together, both in a completely new environment. It shouldn't come as a huge shock that it didn't work out. But, the latest report from Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show is damning all the same.

"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."

Russell Wilson, Arthur Smith butted heads in what could end up as lone season together with Steelers

Mike Tomlin denied those rumors, but Wilson's lackluster finish to the season has opened the door wide for a change at quarterback. It's worth remembering how fondly coaches and players spoke about Justin Fields early in the season, when he led the Steelers to a 4-2 record prior to Wilson's debut.

The decision to turn to Wilson was clearly a direct mandate from Mike Tomlin, who went against the grain of public opinion and even locker room fervor. The decision to go with Russ appeared to work out of the gate, but the veteran fell apart in the end. Wilson is more than a decade older than Fields, whom Tomlin praised at length once the season concluded.

"Certainly,” Tomlin said when asked if Fields is a starting quarterback. “I thought that the way that he managed his professional circumstances was really impressive. I thought he brought an urgency in his day-to-day work regardless of his role. I thought he got continually better within our system of ball throughout the process. I thought the way he conducted himself makes that a legitimate thought or idea at this juncture."

If Fields has the allegiance of the coaches and the locker room, not to mention another decade of football ahead of him, it's hard to imagine the Steelers running it back with Wilson. Smith appears unlikely to get a head coaching job this cycle, so he'll be back on the Pittsburgh sideline next season. Tomlin is always loyal to his coordinators. If Smith feels strongly about Fields over Wilson, that could push the latter out the door. Tomlin sure seems to be changing his tune on Wilson after these last few weeks.

If Smith does land a head coaching gig — he's interviewing with Chicago and New York, at least — that changes the calculus a bit. Even then, however, Russ and Pittsburgh appear destined for a divorce. The Steelers need to find a sustainable QB option, which has eluded them since Ben Roethlisberger's retirement. Wilson brings plenty of experience and cachet, but he's not long for this league.