The Steelers’ offensive drought and five-game losing streak to end the season strangely started one week after Russell Wilson had the second-best game of his decorated career, and the offense posted numbers not seen in six years.
After Wilson outdueled Joe Burrow and threw for 414 yards in a 44-point outburst in Cincinnati, the Steelers offense mysteriously changed and went into a funk in which it failed to score more than 17 points in the final five games, including its playoff loss in Baltimore. It was the first time since Chuck Noll’s rookie season that the Steelers went five consecutive games without topping 17 points.
And, apparently, a lot of it had to do with Wilson not being allowed to do at the end of the season what he did against the Bengals on Dec. 1, strange as it may sound.
Multiple sources have told the Post-Gazette the offense lacked imagination and that the audibles and route adjustments Wilson was making at the line of scrimmage were creating a conflict with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
After going 6-1 in his first seven starts by averaging 255 yards passing with a passer rating of 103.88, Wilson averaged just 193.6 yards and had a passer rating of 88.93 in the final five games. The Steelers averaged 28.4 points in Wilson’s first seven starts but just 14.2 points in the final five games.
The decline started after his season-best performance in Cincinnati in which he threw three touchdowns, had eight completions of at least 20 yards and completed passes to 10 different receivers. It resulted in 44 points and 520 yards of offense — the team’s most since 2018 — and a season-high 28 first downs.
But it all changed after that.
Why?
According to several sources, Smith did not want Wilson changing plays at the line of scrimmage, like he did in Cincinnati, and deviating from the game plan.
Wilson’s desire to attack with the pass and throw down the field clashed with Smith’s run-first mentality, causing philosophical friction between the two.
Now the question remains: What do the Steelers do about that if they decide to re-sign Wilson?
There is sentiment in the organization to bring back the 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback, who will be 37 in November, because they saw what the offense was capable of in his first seven starts. Team president Art Rooney II said it is unlikely the Steelers will bring back both Wilson and Justin Fields, both of whom are unrestricted free agents.
If it’s Wilson, the price tag will be a two- or three-year deal that averages between $20 million and $25 million. If Wilson seeks a larger deal, he might have to do it on the free agent market.
But part of the process will be making sure Wilson and Smith can work together and not butt heads over how the offense should operate. If that can’t be resolved, then Fields, who appears to be favored by some of the coaching staff, becomes the likely choice to be re-signed.
Rooney said at his season-ending press conference the quarterback, whether it’s Wilson or Fields, “has to be able to read the defense and get the team in a play that is good against the defense he's looking at.”
Apparently, though, that wasn’t always the preferred style of play — even after it proved to be effective.
First Published: February 4, 2025, 5:40 p.m.
Updated: February 5, 2025, 12:53 p.m.
