LB Kuechly reveals what made QB Brees so 'unique'
Luke Kuechly joins Mike Florio and Chris Simms to discuss why playing Drew Brees was such a challenge, if he is still haunted by losing Super Bowl 50 to the Broncos and who his favorite active NFL linebackers are.
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Steelers OC Arthur Smith Denies There Was Tension with Russell Wilson: ‘Fantastical Narrative'
PITTSBURGH — In February, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Arthur Smith did not want Russell Wilson changing plays at the line of scrimmage despite the quarterback's big game in the Week 13 win over Cincinnati. The Steelers scored a season-high 44 points against the Bengals and Wilson posted an impressive 414 yards passing to go along with three touchdown passes. Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said on his Footbahlin podcast with Pat McAfee that Smith was not fond of Wilson changing play at the line of scrimmage. Advertisement 'Arthur Smith has to understand he has to let the quarterback have some rein,' Roethlisberger said. 'I was told he really pulled the reins back on Russ. In the two-minute drill, wouldn't let Russ call his own plays. You have to let a quarterback do that stuff.' During his media availability on Wednesday, Arthur Smith refuted the narrative that he had a bad working relationship with Wilson. 'Yeah, I know that's a hot button issue here. It's the first place I've ever been in the NFL, so you get a little the history of a place. Again, every quarterback is different. Every offensive scheme is different. I've never had the privilege of working with Ben [Roethlisberger]. You're talking about a Hall of Fame quarterback, and he was here for a long time, and he's a gold jacket player, and I'm not sure how he did things,' Smith said. 'So, sometimes, when you're answering questions, that may be the reference point. A lot of times last year, every quarterback I've had, audible is such a vague term. So not to get too deep in the weeds or the scheme, but you're talking about, we've got multiple things that evolve every year, depending on who the quarterback is, just like we did last year, and it didn't change. 'With Justin [Fields] or Russ [Wilson], and the way we tried to evolve, it didn't change. Whether we're talking about cans, checks, alerts, signals, you want to put those in audibles, great, but we never fundamentally changed. I mean, we obviously schematically shifted to try to play a little bit differently with Justin than Russ, but the operation never changed. So, whatever the fantastical narrative was that we're just calling plays at the line, I don't know the history of the reference. I just know what we did in Pittsburgh in '24, and our issue at the end of the year was we weren't good enough. Advertisement 'And as a leader, you take accountability, and that's on you, but there's multiple issues, and we have to be playing our best at the end of the year. You know, we're rolling. That's where you have to be accountable as a leader. And so obviously,we'll have a different setup this year. Roster wise, obviously new players, DK [Metcalf], Aaron [Rodgers], some of the other guys we brought in. [Kenneth] Gainwell, drafted Kaleb (Johnson). So, every year is a different journey, and it's exciting to have Aaron here and to get to work with him.' Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and quarterback Russell Wilson at practice on Jan. 9, 2025 — Ed Thompson/ Steelers Now Wilson, 36, spent the 2024 season with the Steelers in what was a tale of two halves. After returning from a calf injury in Week 7, Wilson helped rattle off six wins in seven games. But his play took a downturn on the team's five-game losing streak to end the season. During that span, the Steelers failed to score more than 17 points in every game, a streak that hasn't occurred since Chuck Noll's first season in 1969. It's safe to say that left a sour taste in the Steelers mouths and played a role in Wilson not returning. Advertisement Despite things not working out, Russell Wilson has had nothing but good things to say about the Pittsburgh Steelers organization since departing to New York. He was complimentary of the Steelers during his introductory press conference with the Giants in March, and he had similar sentiments during a recent interview on 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony. 'Pittsburgh was a good place for me,' Wilson said. 'It really helped rejuvenate me in every way because of the locker room there, the pros, guys like T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward, guys like Miles Killebrew, those captains. And then just the guys I was around, the hard work those guys put in. 'I remember seeing a guy like Calvin Austin III, young star, who just wanted to be great, came to San Diego, wanted to work with me. Just guys that I really appreciate. Guys like Najee Harris and how he went about practicing hard every day. Different guys you get to know, teammates like Dan Moore, who I got to be really close with, and many others.' Alan Saunders and Brendan Howe provided reporting from Pittsburgh. Advertisement Yeah, I know that's a hot button issue here. It's the first place I've ever been in the NFL, so you get a little the history of a place. Again, every quarterback is different. Every offensive scheme is different. I've never had the privilege of working with Ben [Roethlisberger]. You're talking about a Hall of Fame quarterback, and he was here for a long time, and he's a gold jacket player, and I'm not sure how he did things. So, sometimes, when you're answering questions, that may be the reference point. A lot of times last year, every quarterback I've had, audible is such a vague term. So not to get too deep in the weeds or the scheme, but you're talking about, we've got multiple things that evolve every year, depending on who the quarterback is, just like we did last year, and it didn't change. With Justin [Fields] or Russ [Wilson], and the way we tried to evolve, it didn't change. Whether we're talking about cans, checks, alerts, signals, you want to put those in audibles, great, but we never fundamentally changed. I mean, we obviously schematically shifted to try to play a little bit differently with Justin than Russ, but the operation never changed. So, whatever the fantastical narrative was that we're just calling plays at the line, I don't know the history of the reference. I just know what we did in Pittsburgh in '24, and our issue at the end of the year was we weren't good enough. Alan Saunders and Brendan Howe provided reporting from Pittsburgh. This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers OC Arthur Smith Denies There Was Tension with Russell Wilson: 'Fantastical Narrative' Related Headlines
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11 minutes ago
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Ben Roethlisberger Reveals Which Pittsburgh Steeler Benefits Most From Aaron Rodgers Signing
Ben Roethlisberger Reveals Which Pittsburgh Steeler Benefits Most From Aaron Rodgers Signing originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Aaron Rodgers were seemingly meant for one another. The Steelers had struck out on their top two quarterback choices, and Rodgers seemed to have just one team readily offering the starting quarterback position. Advertisement Although it took 70 days from his visit to signing a contract, Rodgers is in Black and Gold. The signing indicates the Steelers are looking to contend, and they now have an answer at the most important position on the field. Rodgers will be trying to channel his inner Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Tom Brady, winning a championship in a new uniform. Rodgers was unable to complete the task in New York, and was unable to put together a winning season. There seems to be skepticism regarding if Rodgers can do it, and deservedly so. On top of his declining play on the Jets, Rodgers is 41 years old, a year removed from a major injury, and will be joining a roster that still has a lot of question marks on offense. The only certainty is that the quarterbacks already on the Steelers' roster will benefit from having Rodgers around, at least according to Steelers' legend Ben Roethlisberger. Advertisement On his podcast Footbahlin, Roethlisberger told former offensive coordinator Randy Richter that he thinks Will Howard is the biggest winner of the signing. "I think the person who is going to benefit the most from all of this is Will Howard," Roethlisberger said. "He gets to see how a Hall of Fame guy does it. For good, bad, and different, whatever is going to happen. He gets to see how Mason [Rudolph], whom you can call a journeyman… He's been a backup and he's been a starter. Mason has done a lot of things, so Will gets to sit back and see how they approach it." Pittsburgh selected Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft after guiding Ohio State to a National Championship. Howard led the Big Ten in completion percentage (73.0), yards (4,010) and touchdowns (35). "He is going to benefit the most from this whole thing in my opinion," Roethlisberger said. "I think he's got a real chance to do something about it." Advertisement Related: Steelers Will Cave To T.J. Watt Because He Owns Mike Tomlin,' Claims Cowherd Related: Steelers' Omar Khan Earning Reputation During Trade Talks This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to monitor any potential additions that would in settling Aaron Rodgers into the offense but free agent wideout Keenan Allen made it perfectly clear he has no intentions of joining the team next season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to monitor any potential additions that would in settling Aaron Rodgers into the offense but free agent wideout Keenan Allen made it perfectly clear he has no intentions of joining the team next season. originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Pittsburgh Steelers offense suddenly takes on a new feel after signing Aaron Rodgers last week. Months of rumors led to this point though the reality does change the complexion of the team midway through the offseason. Advertisement While Rodgers still has the competency of a starting quarterback, the physical traits and the ability to shoulder the majority of the load has faded over the years. The Steelers must have a strong enough support system in order for him to be successful this season. DK Metcalf's presence alleviates some of that concern but the other pieces around him leave something to be desired. The Steelers appear comfortable with the pass-catching group of Robert Woods, Calvin Austin III and Pat Freiermuth. One would think, however, interest from any enticing free agents left on the market may catch their eye. There's no buzz on that front, rather a strong rejection from veteran receiver Keenan Allen. He appeared on a stream with JGoofy this week, positing a bold defiance against playing for the Steelers. Advertisement "There's two sides to the story. A-Rod being the quarterback — of course that interests you. But Pittsburgh? No." It's a bold response from the six-time Pro Bowler who has yet to find his next destination. Allen spent his first 11 seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers franchise before spending last season with the Chicago Bears. Despite the need for proven receiving talent in Pittsburgh, a commitment to a team that has struggled to get their offense right for so many years is a hard sell for a player in Allen's position. There's no guarantee the Rodgers experiment itself works out in the favor of the Steelers, adding more risk for any veterans looking to hop on board. Advertisement Perhaps the Steelers find one more player to aid Rodgers in the passing game. But Allen has made it perfectly clear he has no interest in playing for the Black and Gold. Related: Aaron Rodgers Contract Features Major Super Bowl Bonus with Steelers Related: The Rodgers Era Begins: First Look At The Steelers New No. 8 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
