Insider shares why Aaron Rodgers' Steelers experience will differ from Russell Wilson's

Shortly after the Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a wild-card playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens this past January, multiple reports said that then-Pittsburgh quarterback Russell Wilson "did not have a very good working relationship" with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

Specifically, issues allegedly arose between the two because "Smith did not want Wilson changing plays at the line of scrimmage ... and deviating from the game plan." Thus, analysts and outsiders have wondered since future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers was first linked with the Steelers how he and Smith will get along throughout the upcoming season. 

Steelers reporter Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette addressed the Rodgers-Smith dynamic during a chat that was shared via the Armstrong Neighborhood Channel YouTube page on Wednesday. 

"Last year, with Russell Wilson, he would go to the line of scrimmage with maybe two plays," Fittipaldo explained, per Troy Montgomery of Steelers Depot. "If one look didn't present, he'd call the other play. He wasn't able just to call, 'We're gonna call a pass play. We're gonna do something totally different.' He did not have that freedom. I think, with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, they'll probably build some stuff in so he does have some of that freedom."

Rodgers has a reputation for being an on-the-field coordinator given authority by coaches to change aspects of plays at the line as he sees fit. For a piece published on June 23, The Athletic's Mike DeFabo noted that Rodgers and Smith "plan to spend time" with each other during the Steelers' summer break, crafting what will become Pittsburgh's offensive scheme for the 2025 campaign. 

Smith and Rodgers seemingly have been on the same page since March, but it remains to be seen what will happen if Pittsburgh's offense produces some lackluster performances during losses this fall. According to Jake Brockhoff of Steelers Depot, Fittipaldo thinks that head coach Mike Tomlin will need to step in if he notices Smith and Pittsburgh's QB1 aren't getting along for the second straight season. 

"We'll see if the marriage between Arthur and Aaron could be better," Fittipaldo added during the conversation, per Jake Brockhoff of Steelers Depot. "If you're Mike Tomlin, it has to be. Whatever happened last year with Russell and Arthur, Mike has to put a stop to it this year if he sees it going down that road. To me, that's one of the more important things Mike Tomlin has to do."

Rodgers presumably didn't join the Steelers for his last season as an active player simply to bicker with a coach about at-the-line hand signals and about when a team should pass the ball in red-zone situations. Rodgers reportedly is "all in" on helping Pittsburgh pursue more than just a playoff berth, so perhaps he will happily meet Smith halfway regarding the Steelers' playbook.