NFL fans react to rumored rift between Russell Wilson and Steelers OC Arthur Smith - "Russ is the problem everywhere he goes"

Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers had their season cut short. The Steelers were no match for the Baltimore Ravens during the AFC Wild Card, losing 28-14 in a game where the Ravens had all but wrapped up the contest during the first half.

The Steelers had an interesting dynamic with their quarterback position during the season. Wilson was set to start from the beginning, but a calf injury made him miss the first six games, with Justin Fields leading the team to a 4-2 record. However, even with a positive start, Mike Tomlin decided to change the quarterbacks once the veteran was healthy.

Wilson's relationship with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith seemed to be good in public, but according to reports from Steelers insider Mary Kaboly, there was friction between the quarterback and the coach:

"Reports surfaced during the year that offensive coordinator Arthur Smith preferred Fields over Wilson but that was never substantiated," Kaboly said. "Still, despite Russ and Smith spending countless hours together after the typical workday watching film and publicly joking about it, a team source recently said that quarterback and coach did not have a very good working relationship but fought through their differences as best they could."

NFL fans did not miss the opportunity to poke fun at Russ one more time:

"Sean Payton said Russ wasn’t capable of running the full offense due to mental limitations", noted one fan.

"I would like Fields over that old trash a** gramps mobility quarterback too", trolled another.

"He want a young guy who won’t question his authority", a third noted.

Russell Wilson contract: Quarterback set to hit free agency after the 2024 season

In an ideal world, this would've been the third season of the veteran quarterback playing for the Denver Broncos, the team for who he signed a five-year deal in 2022. But poor performances led to the Broncos cutting the cord after just two years.

He signed a one-year, prove-it deal with the Steelers to reignite his career, and although his prime is long gone, he showed interesting things during his time in Pittsburgh. He'll be a free agent in 2025, and it will be curious to see whether the team will bring him back.