Steelers' Arthur Smith And Russell Wilson Receive Startling Comparison To Matt Canada And Kenny Pickett

Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers rejoiced when Head Coach Mike Tomlin made the decision to fire Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada midseason back in 2023. It was supposed to be a sign that the franchise was finally accepting that stagnant offenses can no longer help organizations compete in today's NFL. After the year ended, it didn't take long for Arthur Smith to be hired to lead the unit. Unfortunately, despite having a few good flashes in 2024, the group ended the season on a horrible run, and was one of the main reasons a five-game losing streak commenced, which included a playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

The Steelers' offense was expected to have a run-first, play-action pass focused offense in 2024, which it did, but there was one main problem. The rushing attack was never consistent due to a struggling offensive line, which hindered the ability to catch defenses off guard with play-action. Despite this, the game plan never seemed to waver, and that might have caused some issues internally.

There have been some rumors that quarterback Russell Wilson and Smith didn't have the best working relationship, especially towards the end of the season. When asked about that in a recent fan chat, Gerry Dulac mentioned that he wouldn't exactly call it friction, but the duo was pretty similar to some from the past decade or so.

"Friction is a strong word," Dulac wrote. But there was some type of disconnect between the way Wilson wanted to play and the way Smith wanted him to play. Not uncommon. Think Ben-Haley, Ben-Canada, Pickett-Canada."

It's hard to imagine that Dulac mentioning three coordinators (including Smith) and three different quarterbacks having a disconnect doesn't have anything to do with the top. The one common denominator is Tomlin and the way he wants to play football. Fans have been calling the head coach out lately for living in his fears, despite his often-used quote saying that he and his team do not. 

Smith is unlikely to land a head-coaching gig and will be back with the team in 2025, but the quarterback situation remains a mystery. The overall consensus, however, is that the Steelers need more weapons on offense. The unit was supposed to be leaps and bounds better in 2024, but still, somehow, is drawing a comparison to Canada and Kenny Pickett.

It will be a challenge to completely revamp the group over the course of just one offseason, but the team doesn't have much of a choice. The defense is growing older and could regress, while the best teams in the AFC are offensive juggernauts. Pittsburgh needs a quarterback that is going to fit Smith's scheme, and Justin Fields could be a better option than Wilson, especially if Smith and Wilson did not see eye to eye in 2024.

While Wilson mentioned on the Pat McAfee Show that he and the Steelers have started to talk about a contract extension, the organization could absolutely be doing the same with Fields. It is said that if it isn't broke, don't fix it. Well, Pittsburgh's offense was more broken than not throughout this past season, which is why the fan base is calling for Fields to return, and not Wilson.

Steelers Must Have Near-Perfect 2025 Offseason

Pittsburgh is being left behind in a league that rewards teams that invest on the offensive side of the ball. Defense is still important, but with a good special teams unit and above-average defense, the missing piece for Tomlin and co. is a dynamic offense. Tomlin, Smith and whoever the quarterback is all have to be on the same page. The approach can no longer be the infamous run-run-pass-punt, which was a horrible reality during the Canada and Pickett era.