Life as a quarterback in the NFL is a tough one. Just ask Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson
Wilson led the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl title in 2013 and a return the following season resulted in a near-miss against Tom Brady and the Patriots. The Wisconsin product has seen success in the NFL.
He’s also seen some failures. After a blockbuster trade to Denver, Wilson didn’t gel with the then-head coach or the offensive scheme and struggled. Sean Payton took over coaching duties and decided Wilson was not his guy.
Wilson was released and signed to a one-year deal in Pittsburgh, only to see the team trade for former first-rounder Justin Fields just four days later.
He’s seen his share of detractors since arriving in Pittsburgh, and maybe none more vocal than former NFL defensive lineman Chris Long. Long offered his take on Wilson during the offseason.
“Russell Wilson is seeing how the other half lives. He’s not only feeling the unfairness of the NFL, but he’s also feeling the pressure because he’s never had a guy backing him up like this,” Long said. “The minute he doesn’t play well, that stadium, that city’s gonna turn on him.”
How’d that work out for ya, Chris?
Wilson is finally healthy and has been put back into the starting role under center. And he’s played very well. Now, Long is backtracking to the point of taking it all back and issued a public apology to the Steelers quarterback.
“I know I’ve already said this, but I wanted to make sure I said it,” Long said. “This is my public apology tour on one topic, and that’s Russell Wilson. I’ve gotten a lot of things right over the last year. This is one that I didn’t get right. Justin Fields didn’t do quite enough, and he might be perfect for what they’re trying to do. Related video: Albert Breer on Steelers’ Making Moves (Sports Illustrated)
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“He might be perfect for this coordinator. He might be perfect for taking advantage of the shots, the shot opportunities that we didn’t even know were there, the play-action.”
