Tag: Arthur smith

Steelers QB Russell Wilson linked to NFC East team as 2025 destination

Russell Wilson’s offseason just got more intriguing, with reports linking the Steelers QB to the New York Giants ahead of 2025 free agency.

Russell Wilson appears to have had a very busy—and confusing—start to the 2025 offseason. Wilson originally proclaimed that the “plan” was to remain with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025 and beyond. However, insider Gerry Dulac hinted that this may have changed, much to the delight of Justin Fields’ supporters.

From drama surrounding the relationship between OC Arthur Smith and Wilson to the arrival of the quarterback’s former HC Pete Carroll in Las Vegas practically acting as a ‘welcome mat,’ no one can truly pinpoint what 2025 has in store for the Steelers QB.

However, insider Jeremy Fowler has identified which team Wilson is interested in heading into the 2025 free agency:

“Wilson has also been connected to the Giants by a few people this week. He visited with the Giants last free agency, and New York is on his radar as a potential option in 2025.”

Wilson would fit nicely with the NY Giants, with the team boasting a great WR duo in Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson, complementing his incredible ‘moon ball.’

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NFL reporter calls rift between Steelers OC and Russell Wilson a ploy by QB

Russell Wilson struggled down the stretch but wants everyone to believe it wasn’t his fault.

At this point, we aren’t exactly sure what is going on with the Pittsburgh Steelers and quarterback Russell Wilson. After the season, Wilson expressed his interest in returning to the Steelers and said contract talks were already happened. Then the story came out and he and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith didn’t see eye to eye on the play calling and Wilson’s decisions on the field.

But according to NFL network reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala, that story was just a ploy by Wilson’s representatives to help calm the waters from a dreadful stretch at the end of the season.

This would mean Wilson isn’t working with the Steelers to return and is instead trying to partake in damage control to help him in free agency. Try and convince potential teams that his abysmal play in the final month of the season somehow wasn’t his fault.

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Steelers insider gives clarification on disconnect between Russell Wilson and Arthur Smith

Arthur Smith and Russell Wilson didn’t see eye to eye about Wilson’s desire to throw the ball down the field.

It didn’t take long before reports started coming out that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith didn’t see eye to eye when Wilson was the starter. Now, Steelers beat writer Gerry Dulac offers a bit more clarity on the details of where the two had issues.

“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,” Dulac wrote. “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.”

If this is true, it really opens up more questions for the offseason. First and foremost, it brings into question if Arthur Smith should be the Steelers OC going forward since we’ve learned his plodding style of offense doesn’t work.

It also makes you wonder how this will impact the quarterback position going forward. If Smith and by extension head coach Mike Tomlin want to focus on the run, re-signing Justin Fields is the only move that makes any sense.

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Why Steelers fans should be concerned about Art Rooney II’s 2025 plan

Steelers fans should brace for a frustrating 2025, as Art Rooney II remains committed to a wait-and-see approach with Mike Tomlin’s staff.

For the Pittsburgh Steelers, a playoff win cannot come soon enough—and the supposed plan for the 2025 season leaves little hope for one anytime soon.

Steelers President Art Rooney II shot down the idea of cleaning house within the Black and Gold coaching staff—a change that desperately needs to happen, especially regarding DC Teryl Austin, with the 2024 defensive struggles falling squarely on his shoulders.

Rooney also touched on the offensive staff, claiming that the team had reworked the offense more than ever before last offseason—and he remains optimistic about what it will look like under Arthur Smith again in 2025.

Rooney’s plan for the Steelers’ 2025 season is rather simple—continue trusting Mike Tomlin and his coaching staff.

The standard Tomlin once spoke so highly of has shifted from winning championships to accepting mediocrity—and Rooney practically gave him the greenlight for this to continue.

Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers should honestly prepare for the worst heading into 2025, as Rooney expects change without making any significant changes.

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Coaching staff size not an issue for Steelers team president

The Steelers maintain one of the smallest coaching staffs in the NFL.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the smallest coaching staffs in the entire NFL. While some teams have individual passing game and run game coordinators and specialized defensive coaches, the Steelers keep it very old school, which amounts to the absolute bare minimum.

Steelers President Art Rooney II was asked about this by the local Pittsburgh media and he defended the small coaching staff and said he didn’t think it is a limiting factor for this team despite its struggles.

“I just don’t see that holding us back,” Rooney said. “I don’t think that’s our problem.”

It has always felt like the Steelers are micromanaged by head coach Mike Tomlin. Since the days of guys like Dick LeBeau and Bruce Arians ended, Tomlin seems to want to keep his thumb on everything and a larger coaching staff would only create more work for him.

The Steelers went 10-7 in 2024 but faded down the stretch to the tune of four straight losses in the regular season and getting doubled up by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the playoffs.

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Steelers remain silent on the coaching front

It would appear the Steelers have no plans to change any of their coaching staff.

At the end of every NFL season, we see a huge turnover of head coaches as well as key assistants. Good teams, bad teams and every team in between are a part of this cycle. Except, as it seems, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Despite an absolute collapse in the final five weeks of the season, including the playoffs, Pittsburgh has opted to just sit by and maintain the status quo.

The Steelers offense showed some growth last season under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. They went from 23rd in the league in scoring in 2023 to 16th in the NFL in 2024. Even scoring improved slightly from No. 25 to No. 23.

Defensively, this group was a mixed bag. The defensive allowed fewer yards in 2024 but gave up more points. The defense also struggled to get after the quarterback. The team finished with only 40 sacks, which was the third-straight season 47 sacks or fewer.

All of this eventually circles back around to head coach Mike Tomlin but it’s become clear Tomlin isn’t going anywhere. However, the Steelers coordinators should be fair game. There are so many young offensive and defensive minds in the NFL who could bring the Steelers into the modern NFL if the team was just willing to take a chance on them.

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Around the NFL: Russell Wilson begins contract talks with Steelers

Around the NFL: Russell Wilson begins contract talks with Steelers

Former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson’s one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers will be expiring this spring, but it appears both sides are working to keep Wilson in the Steel City for a little bit longer. During a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Wilson confirmed himself that his camp has begun to talk with the Steelers in regards to an extension.

When asked if he and Pittsburgh have discussed a new contract, Wilson gave an affirmative answer.

“Yes, we have been starting to talk a little bit,” Wilson stated matter-of-factly. “We’ve had our meetings and everything else, just getting into it. So I think that it’s an exciting time to be a Pittsburgh Steeler and the opportunity of what we can do.” 

Wilson enjoyed moderate success during his first year with the Steelers, despite missing the first six games due to a calf injury. When he took the reigns as the starter, Pittsburgh won six of their next seven games to reach double-digit wins for a consecutive season. Unfortunately, it was literally all downhill from there, as the Steelers lost their next five-straight games – including a Wild Card game against the Ravens – to end the year.

Although Wilson played efficiently in the postseason defeat (completing 20-of-29 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns) the Steelers were nowhere near as competitive as even a 14-point loss might suggest.

Overall, Wilson threw for 2,752 yards with 18 touchdowns against only 5 interceptions in all 12 games (playoffs included) started for Pittsburgh this year. He ultimately finished with a 6-6 record and a playoff appearance.

The Steelers are at a bit of a crossroads right now as a franchise. Pittsburgh has not won a playoff game since January 2017 (Barack Obama was still the president at the time) and fans have been yearning online for a change of pace. But with the team announcing Mike Tomlin will return in 2025 and perhaps an extension with Russell Wilson, it appears the Steelers may want one more crack at it with the squad as presently constructed – including offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, someone Wilson has endorsed.

It would not be fair to place the lion’s share of the blame for Pittsburgh’s late-season meltdown on Wilson. He played his (slightly amended for age) usual brand of efficient, mistake-free football and was solid. However, it is fair to wonder if he is truly capable, in this stage of his career, of elevating the Steelers out of their purgatory of mediocrity they’ve been in for quite some time now.

Steelers QB Russell Wilson shuts down OC Arthur Smith conflict rumors

Russell Wilson dismissed the Arthur Smith-conflict rumors, making it clear where he stands on their working relationship with the Steelers.

Pittsburgh Steelers fans were in for a treat on Wednesday, as Pat McAfee brought Russell Wilson onto his show to answer questions about his career so far, the 2024 season, and his aspirations for 2025 and beyond.

However, the hard-hitting questions came after McAfee asked Wilson to shed light on a rumored ‘beef’ with OC Arthur Smith that has been making waves online.

Longtime Pittsburgh Steelers writer Mark Kaboly had reported on the strained working relationship between Wilson and Smith, and McAfee made his inquiries known early:

“You like Arthur? Hey, there are reports that you hate him.”

Wilson cleared the air, chuckling:

“Anytime you lose a game or two, or whatever goes on, people try to tear things down. I think Arthur is a great coach. Obviously, he’s been a head coach. We love trying to find ways to compete every day and just get better.”

 

The “game or two” in question is a complete undersell from Wilson, as the Steelers lost five straight to end the 2024 season, but it is promising that the rumors surrounding Smith and Wilson’s relationship were nothing more than that.

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Steelers OC Arthur Smith completes head coach interview with Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is making the head coach interview rounds, completing one with the New York Jets.

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith continued his head coach interview rounds, completing one with the New York Jets on Thursday and another with the Bears yesterday. 

Smith spent three seasons (2021-2023) as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. He deserves a second shot in the position, out from under the thumb of Mike Tomlin.

Pittsburgh’s offense was anything but impactful in 2024, and some of the blame falls on Smith. Despite having promising talent, the unit consistently failed to deliver, ranking near the bottom in critical metrics like third-down conversions and red-zone efficiency.

Smith’s play-calling often lacked creativity, leading to predictable schemes that defenses exploited. Quarterback development stagnated, and the run game never found consistent footing. Steelers Nation is rightfully frustrated, as the offensive struggles overshadowed a defense capable of playoff-caliber performances.

Smith is still considered a hot head coach commodity and possibly won’t be in Pittsburgh much longer. Art Rooney II, Omar Khan and Tomlin need to nail the hire for Smith’s replacement. They must give whoever that winds up being full autonomy over his unit. As head coach, Tomlin should have input, not control, of the Steelers’ offense.

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Steelers OC Arthur Smith completes head coach interview with Bears

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is making the head coach interview rounds, completing one with the Chicago Bears.

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is making the head coach interview rounds, completing one with the Chicago Bears on Wednesday.

Smith, who joined the Steelers ahead of the 2024 season, is also scheduled to meet with the New York Jets on Thursday.

Smith spent three seasons (2021-2023) as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. He deserves a second shot in the position, out under the thumb of Mike Tomlin.

Pittsburgh’s offense was anything but impactful in 2024, and some of the blame falls on Smith. Despite having promising talent, the unit consistently failed to deliver, ranking near the bottom in critical metrics like third-down conversions and red-zone efficiency.

Smith’s play-calling often lacked creativity, leading to predictable schemes that defenses exploited. Quarterback development stagnated, and the run game never found consistent footing. Steelers Nation is rightfully frustrated, as the offensive struggles overshadowed a defense capable of playoff-caliber performances.

Inevitably, Smith won’t be in Pittsburgh next season. Art Rooney II, Omar Khan and Tomlin need to nail the hire for Smith’s replacement. It’s critical that they give whoever that winds up being full autonomy over his unit. As head coach, Tomlin should have input but not control, of the Steelers’ offense.


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