We have all done it, haven't we? The way Russell Wilson reportedly left the Seattle Seahawks left many 12s with the proverbial sour taste in their mouths about the franchise's best and most successful quarterback ever. After joining his new team, the Denver Broncos, the honeymoon lasted about half a season, and Broncos fans were tired of Wilson, too.
Sure, much of the issue the quarterback might have brought on himself. He came across as too prepared for interviews as if he stayed up all night thinking of buzzwords to add to his answers. He was robotic, and that made him difficult to love at times. But when 12s learned he went to Jody Allen and asked for Pete Carroll and John Schneider to be fired, that was the final straw for many. It was OK to dislike Wilson.
In fact, Denver fans might have a bigger reason to not like Wilson. At least with the Seahawks, the quarterback got to the playoffs, and he helped the team win a Super Bowl. There was no success with Denver, and Wilson was benched at the end of his second season. He made demands, such as having his own office, that made it appear he was bigger than the team.
Former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson gets some brutal treatment from Bleacher Report
Then Wilson got hit with a humbling reality. Denver did not care how much dead money they needed to carry of Wilson's contract; they just wanted to be rid of him.
Wilson found a new home with the Pittsburgh Steelers this season, but only on a one-year deal. It was an inexpensive contract for the Steelers, and if Wilson worked out, great. If he did not, there was not much financial loss to the team. There was also no reason for people to keep aggressively disliking the quarterback. He hopefully knew he was lucky a team still wanted him.
This is why Bleacher Report's graphic of Wilson and Lamar Jackson after the Steelers lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round of the playoffs is so confusing. One would think B/R had a personal stake in how well Wilson did, and he lost, so the site lost too. That was not the case, of course. Neither was Pittsburgh losing Wilson's fault.
The previously stout Steelers' defense was shredded by the Ravens' running attack. Baltimore had 299 yards rushing, including 29 total first downs of which 16 came on the ground. Wilson was 20 of 29 passing for 270 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers. One would think, however, based on B/R's graphic that Wilson had been awful and was the reason for the loss.
RAVENS LET RUSS COOK AND ADVANCE TO THE DIVISIONAL 🔥🧑🍳 pic.twitter.com/9chA3f44Ad
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 12, 2025
In it, Lamar Jackson is seen telling Wilson, who is behind a food counter, to "put the fries in the bag." There is also a sign that reads "The Unlimited Kitchen," an homage to how Wilson once laughably called himself "Mr. Unlimited." Another sign reads "Try our classic DangerWich," an ode to when Subway had a special DangeRuss Wilson sandwich. The commercials for which are awful.
Has Wilson been too full of himself at times in his career? Definitely, but he shouldn't feel that way now nor after the Steelers. Bleacher Report's graphic just comes off too harsh with too much Wilson hate. That last part is getting quite stale and old.