It was reported on Saturday that Kirby Wilson will no longer be the Pittsburgh Steelers running backs coach as he is expected to assume the same position with the Minnesota Vikings. Saturday evening, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network shared some of what Wilson had to say about the Steelers and his decision to leave.
Wilson reportedly thanked head coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers “family”, saying that they “were integral in my recovery from my accident two years ago.”
As far as his decision to leave Pittsburgh after seven seasons, Wilson said, “I got to a point in the progression of my career where I felt a change of scenery might be best for all parties.”
Wilson, as expected, also called the Steelers “the class of the NFL” and he made sure to also thank all of the fans.
“Lastly, a big thank you to Steelers Nation… the best fans in the NFL.”
It has been rumored for several weeks that Wilson might not return next season even though he still had one year left on his contract. He interviewed for the Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator job this past week, but did not get it.
We can only really speculate as to why Wilson felt that he needed a change of scenery. The popular belief seems to be that he wasn’t getting along with offensive coordinator Todd Haley, but as of right now, there’s no proof or reports to support that theory. Perhaps the real reason will surface over the course of the next few days or weeks.
