Steelers insider refutes controversial Russell Wilson, Arthur Smith report

Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Tuesday that alleged issues between Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith arose this season in part because Smith didn't want Wilson "changing plays at the line of scrimmage." 

During a Wednesday appearance on Pittsburgh sports radio station 93.7 The Fan, Steelers and NFL reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala of CBS Sports explained why she believes Dulac produced a "one-sided" piece that is "patently false" and "completely inaccurate." 

"Journalism is about getting both sides of the story," Kinkhabwala said, as shared by Josh Carney of Steelers Depot. "And this is very clearly coming from one side." 

Kinkhabwala then referenced her report from the spring of 2024, in which she detailed how Wilson "struggled with snap counts" and "couldn't manage or handle the play-calling" during his final campaign with the Denver Broncos. Denver ate what was, at the time, the largest dead cap hit in NFL history to part ways with Wilson following the 2023 season. 

Wilson missed the first six weeks of the 2024 campaign due to a lingering calf injury as backup Justin Fields guided Pittsburgh to a 4-2 record. Head coach Mike Tomlin nevertheless turned to Wilson in Week 7, and the veteran got the Steelers to 10-3 but then couldn't prevent the club from enduring a five-game losing streak that lasted through a wild-card playoff defeat at the rival Baltimore Ravens. 

Both Wilson and Fields remain on track to reach free agency. Kinkhabwala thinks the Wilson-Smith stories emerged largely because the 36-year-old can read the writing on the wall regarding his future. 

"In talking to coaches and general managers around the league, there's just not a market for his services right now," Kinkhabwala added about Wilson. "And 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 for his services. And the truth is, it's just not true." 

Per the Steelers Depot website, both team reporter Mike DeFabo of The Athletic and NFL insider Jay Glazer of Fox Sports suggested in separate interviews on Wednesday that Fields is in "pole position" to enter springtime workouts as Pittsburgh's QB1 because Wilson will have "a new start" elsewhere. While plenty can happen before free agency officially gets underway, it sounds like in-the-know individuals have reasons to believe the Steelers are ready to move on from Wilson after a single season together.