The Pittsburgh Steelers are entering the 2025 offseason full of questions. At the top of that list of questions is the quarterback situation. The organization will likely be bringing back either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields, but it is still a mystery as to which quarterback the organization prefers. Wilson obviously has the experience, but he did not play particularly well at the end of the 2024 season as the Steelers endured a five-game losing streak. He is nearing the end of his career, and his landing spots for 2025 are slim as he is slated to hit free agency.
There has been some questions about a potential rift between Wilson and Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith, and reports emerged about the two having a rocky relationship. It was reported that the two did not agree on the way the offense was being run, and that Smith did not want Wilson changing plays at the line of scrimmage. The reports came out and seemed as though Smith was being thrown under the bus, and insider Aditi Kinkhabwala joined 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday to share her thoughts.
"I'll say this straight up, Russell Wilson is a very, very nice human being," Kinkhabwala said. "None of this is meant to be malicious in any way. But, 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 here in Pittsburgh. And the truth is, it's just not true."
Kinkhabwala is insinuating that Wilson and his team likely leaked some of this information trashing Smith, as a way to explain away his struggles to end the year that played a role in the rough end to the season for the Steelers. Wilson has been in the league for a long time and he is extremely media-trained. The quarterback has a star-studded public relations team behind him, therefore these claims seem to have some validation.
It seems as though Wilson's team manufactured some of these stories about Smith not allowing Wilson to change plays at the line of scrimmage in an effort to make the quarterback look better, as the fan base has turned on the veteran. Kinkhabwala is a very reliable reporter, and she remained consistent in saying these stories slamming Smith are false.
Kinkhabwala brought up an instance from Pittsburgh's Week 18 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, where the Steelers were going for it on fourth and one. She theorized that the offense had a quarterback sneak called, but Wilson gave the signal for an audible to another run when the offense was lined up. The issue was, Wilson didn't say anything. The offensive line in front of him couldn't see him change the play, so they blocked as if it was a quarterback sneak. This resulted in the Steelers losing yards, and turning the ball over.
This provides some validation for Smith when it comes to not being happy with Wilson changing the plays at the line of scrimmage. Wilson struggled late in the year, and now his team is trying to protect him in order to get him a new contract.
Steelers' Russell Wilson Could Not Play In 2025
Wilson wants to remain in Pittsburgh, but if the organization decides to go with Fields it is hard to imagine where else Wilson could go. He won't go anywhere to be a backup, and the only other option for him seems to be the Las Vegas Raiders to reunite with his former Head Coach Pete Carroll. If the Raiders don't want him either, Wilson could be out of a job in 2025.
This harsh reality has resulted in Wilson's team doing everything they can to get the quarterback a new deal, but it remains unclear if that will happen.
