By Josh 
There’s been some tension between Steelers QB Russell Wilson and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith toward the end of the 2024 season. Mark Kaboly from the Pittsburgh Steelers insider first mentioned the friction, and on February 4, Gerry Dulac from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette gave more details.
The issues started when Smith wanted Wilson to stop changing plays at the line of scrimmage and just run the plays Smith called. Wilson, on the other hand, preferred a pass-heavy attack, which clashed with Smith’s run-first approach.
In the first game against the Bengals, the Steelers passed 38 times and ran only 26 times. Wilson had his best performance of the season, throwing for 414 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception, leading Pittsburgh to a 44-38 win.
But in the second game, a month later, things were different. The Steelers passed 31 times and ran just 23. Wilson only threw for 148 yards with one touchdown, and the running game struggled with just 3.2 yards per carry. The Bengals won 19-17.
The Steelers’ offense hit its peak in Week 13 against the Bengals, putting up 44 points. A lot of things were working, like multiple receivers having big games and Najee Harris rushing for 75 yards and a touchdown. A key moment was Pittsburgh breaking a tendency. The Bengals often used a 5-man defensive line on first downs, but the Steelers adjusted and threw effectively, gaining 74 yards and four first downs when facing that front.
However, when the teams met again in Week 18, the Steelers went back to their old ways, running the ball most of the time on first down and not adapting as well.
Smith’s run-first philosophy worked early in his tenure, but during a tough five-game losing streak, including the playoffs, the offense struggled, failing to score more than 17 points in each of those games—the first time that’s happened for Pittsburgh since 1969.
Smith interviewed for a couple of head coaching jobs but didn’t land either one, so it looks like he’ll be back with the Steelers. As for Wilson, he’s set to become a free agent in March. Early in the offseason, he’s expressed interest in returning to Pittsburgh, and despite some friction with Smith, he’s spoken positively about him. On The Pat McAfee Show, Wilson said, “I like Arthur [Smith]. I think everybody trusts him.” He added that even after losses, they all trust him to help them compete and improve.