NFL insider alleges Russell Wilson-Arthur Smith rift story was ploy from Steelers QB's camp to conceal late-season struggles

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot of decisions to make going forward with the franchise as they have Russell Wilson and Justin Fields as unrestricted free agents. However, there was a report that floated around that Wilson and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith butted heads over the offensive philosophy of the team.

However, CBS Sports' Aditi Kinkhabwala appeared on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh and claimed that the story was false and that Wilson's camp planted it to write off his late-season struggles.

In his final five games of the regular season, the Steelers finished 1-4 and he had six passing touchdowns without throwing for more than 217 yards.

Neither Russell Wilson nor anyone from his camp has addressed the accusation publicly. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Wilson and the Steelers going forward.

Russell Wilson's prospects in Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Steelers may have been able to make the playoffs under Russell Wilson but have a significant decision to make. Wilson has shown the ability to step up in the system after taking over for Justin Fields in the middle of the season.

He finished the season completing 214-of-336 (63.7%) of his passes for 2,482 yards with 16 touchdowns to five interceptions. This suggests he still has something left in the tank and the Steelers might be the best team for him. Wilson understands the Arthur Smith offense as he thrived in it and already has the chemistry with the offensive pieces that the Steelers have on their roster.

The other thing is who can they land that is definitively better than Wilson in the 2025 NFL season? They could sign Wilson to a multiple-year deal this offseason and draft a quarterback from the 2026 quarterback draft class to make things better for the organization without hitting the reset button.