On Tuesday, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that friction between Pittsburgh Steelers QB Russell Wilson and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith stemmed from Smith stopping Wilson from changing plays at the line. The change reportedly happened late in the season, after Wilson’s best game of the year in a Week 13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, and former NFL linebacker Bart Scott doesn’t understand the decision from Smith.
Scott said on ESPN’s Get Up this morning that he doesn’t think Russell Wilson can return and operate under the conditions Smith imposed on him.
“You’re telling a potentially borderline Hall of Fame quarterback that he doesn’t have any options at the line of scrimmage. That’s something that works for Justin Fields, but I think that Russell Wilson is too accomplished to be able to tell him that narrative,” Scott said. “You’re telling him to go up to the line of scrimmage and do as I say and not be able to use any of his football acumen. This is a guy that won a Super Bowl. So I don’t think that Russell Wilson can come back with this because how can you operate under those conditions?”
While Smith’s game plan has always been run-heavy, it frankly doesn’t make a lot of sense for him to take away Wilson’s ability to change plays at the line, and especially late in the season. Dulac’s report said that Smith didn’t want Wilson changing plays at the line the way he did against the Bengals, but the Bengals game was Pittsburgh’s best offensive output all season. While most of it came through the air, Najee Harris had a solid day with 16 carries for 75 yards and the Steelers still ran the ball 26 times.
It wasn’t as if the team abandoned the run, and taking away Wilson’s ability to change plays to focus on a run-first philosophy, especially after his best game of the season, hurts the team more than it helps it. The reason you bring in someone like Russell Wilson is to be that veteran quarterback who can adjust on the fly and use what he’s seen throughout his career to open up the field, and that involves making changes at the line.
There are two sides to every story, and I’m sure we’ll hear something from Smith’s side sooner rather than later, but it’s really baffling he’d take away the ability to change plays from a veteran with the experience of Wilson. While Wilson has said he wants to return to Pittsburgh and downplayed the idea of any friction between he and Smith, it’s worth wondering whether Wilson might explore an opportunity elsewhere where he might be guaranteed to have more freedom from the coaching staff.
