Ben Roethlisberger left a huge hole on the Pittsburgh Steelers since retiring from the NFL after the 2021 season. Mike Tomlin expects to find a solution at quarterback with Aaron Rodgers this year, but Big Ben believes that Arthur Smith should change some of his methods first.
During a recent episode of his podcast “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger,” with Pat McAfee as guest, the Steelers legend said he heard that Smith held Russell Wilson back at certain moments of the 2024 NFL season.
The former Atlanta Falcons head coach joined Tomlin‘s staff last season, but before he enters his second year in Pittsburgh, he was warned by Roethlisberger to give the quarterback more freedom to play.
“Arthur Smith has to understand that he has to let the quarterback have some rein,” Roethlisberger said, via Steeler Nation. “I was told he really pulled the reins back on Russ [Wilson]. In the two-minute drill, wouldn’t let Russ call his own plays. You have to let a quarterback do that stuff.”
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on prior to a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 08, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Arthur Smith reportedly had friction with Russell Wilson in Pittsburgh
Perhaps Tomlin and company shouldn’t be worried about Smith though, considering that Wilson is no longer on the team. After all, word on the street is that the pair didn’t get along that much.
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In January, Steelers insider Mark Kaboly shed light into the relationship between Smith and Wilson: “Despite Wilson and Smith spending countless hours together after the typical workday watching film and publicly joking about it, a team source recently said that Wilson and Smith did not have a very good working relationship but fought through their differences as best they could.”
A month later, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette shared revealing details about the reported tension between the Steelers quarterback and offensive coordinator in the 2024 NFL season.
“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,” Dulac wrote. “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.”
The Steelers still looking for first franchise QB since Roethlisberger’s retirement
While Rodgers remains their favorite target, Pittsburgh still doesn’t know who will be under center in 2025. With the 41-year-old extending his silence, Tomlin and the Steelers are reportedly exploring other candidates.
The 2025 NFL Draft could give the team another route to find its future franchise QB, aiming to have the kind of solution that Big Ben provided for 18 years in the Steel City. With the No. 21 pick, it’s unclear which options the Steelers will count on in the first round.
After bringing in both Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough for pre-draft visits, the team reportedly scheduled a meeting with Shedeur Sanders as well. Earlier in the offseason, Tomlin led the Steelers delegation that attended Jalen Milroe’s Pro Day at Alabama.
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In the end, Rodgers is not the only candidate to lead the Steelers’ offense in 2025. Regardless, Roethlisberger believes that whoever plays at quarterback shouldn’t be limited by Smith’s orders.
