Quarterback Russell Wilson of the Pittsburgh Steelers was not well-liked in Denver or Seattle due to his lack of leadership and poor player relations. Still, nothing of the kind has been seen in Pittsburgh thus far.
During last Saturday’s Penguins game, Wilson was seated next to Spencer Anderson, an offensive lineman with the Steelers. Despite not being a household name on the squad, Anderson was selected in the seventh round out of Maryland last season. Wilson’s actions are very different from the Denver claims that he was disconnected and didn’t interact with anyone in the locker room.
Wilson received praise from Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth as well for setting up a San Diego workout during the offseason. Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, and Freiermuth were present at the exercise.
“That was huge,” Freiermuth said to Steelers.com’s Teresa Varley. A few of us accepted his invitation to travel to San Diego, where we worked out, ran routes, and got to know one another. That is significant. Building that friendship off the field is just as important as the bond on the field. You can apply that trust on the football field.
Wilson’s legacy certainly took a big hit in Denver. His play was not up to par with the hefty salary that Denver was dishing out, but his image was absolutely destroyed. Aditi Kinkhabwala of CBS Sports thinks Wilson is fully aware that Pittsburgh is his last chance to not only get his career back on track, but to restore his public perception.
“I believe Russell Wilson understands the significance of this moment. During an appearance on 93.7 The Fan, Kinkhabwala stated, “I think he now realizes, ‘Okay, it’s not just one [bad year], it’s two, and the second was with a guy that everybody recognizes as one of the best offensive minds.” Some things need to be adjusted, both on the field and in the way he builds relationships with his teammates. It gives me great optimism that he is aware of that, in my opinion.
By the time Wilson left Denver, multiple sources informed Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders that he had a poisonous relationship with Sean Payton, the head coach of the Broncos.
But did Wilson cause all of that, or was he only a bystander to a few unfortunate events? Despite speaking with a number of Broncos-affiliated individuals and Wilson’s former teammates, none was prepared to provide a convincing critique of the 35-year-old quarterback’s actions.
Steelers Now was informed by a Broncos source that “all of that is overblown.” “He’s a great guy, and the locker room is great with him.”
Although Payton and Wilson had “oil and water” dispositions, according to a second league source, it was more of a poor fit between the two than a particular shortcoming of each. A player who had been Wilson’s younger teammate in Seattle gave Wilson credit for his guidance and leadership during that period.
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