When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed quarterback Russell Wilson, it was met with mixed results from fans. Many believe the Super Bowl winner had a lousy deal handed to him with the Denver Broncos, and then some think Wilson was cancerous, even when he was with the Seattle Seahawks.
The News Tribune
Former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (left) greets former Steelers wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster (right) after a regular season matchup at then-Heinz Field.
He's in Pittsburgh now, and Steelers fans will have to judge him based on his performance and attitude in the Steel City. However, that doesn't stop us from trying to peek behind the curtain. Someone who can give us a glimpse of Wilson's time in Seattle is Ian Furness of KGR Radio and Fox-13 in Seattle. Furness covered Wilson's 10 years with the Seahawks and knows his situation well.
Furness recently joined TribLive columnist Tim Benz on the Breakfast with Benz podcast. Benz asked Furness exactly what Steelers fans are getting with Wilson on the team. Furness is not a fan of Wilson, and that quickly becomes apparent. He even quips that Wilson might not start since he only has what Head Coach Mike Tomlin calls "pole position."
Furness said that when Seattle drafted Wilson in the third round in 2012, he liked his affability, but did call him a "cliche machine." He was impressed with how Wilson came in and won that starting spot his rookie year, meaning he won over most fans.
"Some of the stuff you see now that seems kind of corny and canned, the rah rah stuff with Russ, was more authentic back then. The dude competed; he was a gamer. And honestly, they don't win a Super Bowl without him."
While many Seattle fans say that the Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII because of their stalwart defense, Furness cautions that it takes more than that, and Wilson was a huge factor.
JESSE GRANT / GETTY IMAGES
Steelers' new QB Russell Wilson with popstar wife Ciara.
However, Furness said things began to evolve in Seattle. He added that fans blamed it on Wilson's divorce and then re-marriage to popstar Ciara. It didn't matter why it happened because it did, and Wilson fell out of favor.
"A lot of things started to change when that happened, and he became a, 'Look at me guy.' He became a problem inside the facility, with the front office, and with the staff, and it just snowballed from there until they traded him."
Benz asked Furness to elaborate on his meaning by "he changed." Furness said a lot of it boiled down to contract issues. Wilson uses an agent, Mark Rodgers, who primarily represents baseball players, which created contentious negotiations. He thinks Rodgers helped push the "me first" narrative and encouraged unrealistic expectations.
Seahawks.com
Steelers' new QB Russell Wilson won a Super Bowl in Seattle.
Despite well-deserved recognition for winning the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2020, Furness said Wilson appeared mad at the world. He started commenting to the media about his offensive line not protecting him enough and was bitter he wasn't in the Super Bowl. It felt like fingers were being pointed everywhere, but at him, and it was a turn-off for Furness.
"I'll tell you this point blank: this is why I had a problem with him. I don't root for a guy that tried to get people fired, and that's what he did. The diva quarterback moniker was placed on him and with good reason."
Furness refers to the reported request to fire General Manager John Schneider and Head Coach Pete Carroll. The story is that Wilson and his agent went to the Seahawks owner and tried to get them fired. Of course, while Furness calls all of this "fact," much of it is his opinion of Wilson's intent. Furness added that Wilson was lucky to be with the Steelers and saw them as the only organization that could revive his declining career.
Wilson does have many positives, said Furness—his powerful arm, quickness, and ability to compete and win. Having Tomlin, who's never had a losing season, as a coach is exactly what he needs.
"With an organization like Pittsburgh and a coach like that, this will be the true test. Listen, this is probably the last and only stop he could make to try to resurrect things. I don't think you could go to a weaker organization and get back what you used to have. If he went to the Jets or the Giants, it would just be an absolute trainwreck. It'd be fun as h*ll to watch, but it'd be a trainwreck."
The slate must be wiped clean for Wilson to succeed in Pittsburgh. It has been for the players and staff. The reports were that they spent an inordinate amount of time talking with Wilson and encouraging him to choose Pittsburgh. For his part, Wilson did his homework to learn about the team and its values, which impressed Tomlin during their day together.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers' TJ Watt (left) and Russell Wilson (right) have a pregame conversation.
However, Furness is right. Wilson is not necessarily the starting quarterback. Tomlin's comment sounds like he will get the opportunity he is due as a veteran who has been to nine Pro Bowls. If Justin Fields outperforms him in camp, he could lose the job.
Steelers Have A Quarterback Battle Coming
Fields and Wilson have something to prove to the Steelers, their former team, and all their detractors. They are both coming out of situations where they were not fully allowed to succeed.
On the plus side, the Steelers have landed both quarterbacks for next to nothing. Fields comes in at $1,616,724 as a base salary, and Pittsburgh is only paying Wilson the league minimum of $1.21 million. Of course, Denver is on the hook for a whopping $39 million when it comes to Wilson. These low contracts allow the Steelers to gain other weapons they need and force both quarterbacks into "prove it" years.
Do you agree at all with what was said by Furness about Wilson? Click to comment below!
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