ESPN analyst sends direct message to Russell Wilson

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson is heading into a breakthrough year. At 35, this will likely be his last chance to resurrect a once-promising career.

If Wilson can’t flourish in Pittsburgh, ESPN’s Booger McFarland thinks the nine-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion should just hang it up.

“If he can’t make it happen in this offense, he might as well retire and get some starting time with me, (Dan) Orlovsky and (Dan) Graziano,” McFarland said recently on ESPN Live.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson at team’s mandatory minicamp, June 11, 2024 – Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

Wilson’s legacy has certainly been tarnished in Denver. There is no doubt about it. I mean, Mark Schlereth still bashes him constantly.

Wilson is now in a much better situation with Mike Tomlin as head coach. He just never got along with Sean Payton.

A veteran AFC personnel executive even told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that Payton never liked Wilson from day one.

“Sean never liked him as a guy from day one and went out of his way to make that known,” the source said.

Payton attacked Wilson on the sidelines during a game in Detroit last season. It seemed more personal than a coach simply leaving it up to a player. Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes Payton went out of his way to publicly embarrass Wilson.

“One thing that always got to me about Russell Wilson’s tenure in Denver is that Sean Payton went out of his way to make things difficult in their relationship,” Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said during from an appearance on 93.7 The Fan on Friday. “Really putting a veteran Super Bowl-winning quarterback in places that were just strange for me to see. The way he talked about himself in the media. His body language in games, his screams on the sidelines. We don’t see this every day. »

“Sean Payton has a reputation in the NFL for being a difficult guy to deal with. So that’s another reason why I want to give Russell the benefit of the doubt with the Steelers,” Fittipaldo added. “Sometimes just getting away from a toxic coach can be a good thing. Maybe you’ll find yourself in a more positive situation. Maybe you can go back to where you were in Seattle. … This whole Sean Payton thing always seemed strange to me, the way he treated Russell Wilson.

Wilson has been nothing but a leader since arriving in Pittsburgh. He also embraced the city. This could be a comeback year for him. All the pieces are in place, but Wilson will have to prove it on the field.