Russell Wilson spoke. Shannon Sharpe responded. Wilson answered back. And now, Sharpe is getting another word in. On Sunday night’s episode of the Nightcap podcast with Sharpe and co-host Chad Johnson, Sharpe replied to Wilson’s comment sub-tweeting Sharpe’s critique of his comments regarding opening doors for Black quarterbacks in football.
“Russell Wilson, evidently he heard what you and I said, obviously,” Sharpe told Johnson. “Our voices carry, resonates a lot because we have a large platform.”
For those not following, let’s recap. In an interview with Essence magazine, Wilson commented on his success opening up doors for black quarterbacks of today, names like Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts and Dak Prescott. Sharpe slammed Wilson for it, believing he was trying to take sole credit, not acknowledging Black quarterbacks before him like Warren Moon, Joe Gilliam, and Doug Williams.
“I just don’t know what he was hoping to accomplish. By saying what he said,” Sharpe said in a previous episode. “He opened doors? Huh? No, it was the guys who came before you who had success who opened doors for you.”
Wilson replied Saturday morning, sending out this tweet believing Sharpe took his comments out of context and urging Sharpe and others to build each other up.
But Sharpe didn’t buy the explanation. On Sunday’s show, he pointed out the Essence article author mentioned Williams, Moon, and Randall Cunningham. Not Wilson.
“What he did, he highlighted. This is not what he said. He highlighted what the author said. This is what the author said. ‘Before Wilson bust onto the scene, signal callers of color. Doug Williams, Warren Moon, Randall Cunningham, and Michael Vick all dominated the field at one point a fact that Wilson recognized and respects. I think about those guys before me, he says.’
“That’s not what he said. He’s just regurgitating what the author said.”
Of course, it’s possible Wilson mentioned those names and they simply didn’t make the quote, the author choosing to summarize instead of write out the full quote. Without having access to the unedited interview, it’s impossible to know, but a point Sharpe isn’t considering. What’s clear is Wilson is at least acknowledging he wasn’t football’s first Black quarterback or initial pioneer of the game.
And Sharpe, perhaps making a broader point, wasn’t pleased with forgetting history.
“This is what irks me a lot about this generation. If it didn’t happen, if they didn’t see it, it didn’t happen. If it’s not on the Internet where you could just go [and see], it didn’t happen.”
Johnson mentioned he had spoken with Wilson, though the timeline is unclear and Johnson said the conversation didn’t focus on these comments.
“What [Wilson] said was, we as those that have already played the game or play the game, for us to do justice, to stop tearing our black kings down in general…he also said the fact that he respects those that have played the game that came before him.”
While Sharpe acknowledged Wilson’s talents and success, he made clear no one, including Wilson, is above criticism.
“People have heard me criticized Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, just as much as I’ve criticized the Dak Prescott, Patrick Mahomes. Just because you are accomplished…I’m gonna say two parts. Just because you’re accomplished, you won multiple MVPs, multiple Super Bowls, you’re not beyond reproach. Just because you’re black and I’m black, that doesn’t mean you’re beyond reproach. Now, I’m not gonna attack you as a man. But I think I can attack your play on the field. In this, I thought Russ was being dismissive of the guys that came before him.
“That’s what I was saying. Russ, you do realize that Marlin Briscoe was a scrambling quarterback before Doug Williams. You probably don’t even know who he is. The first Black quarterback to start opening day for the Broncos.”
Briscoe spent one year as the Broncos’ starting quarterback in 1968 before the Buffalo Bills moved him to wide receiver, a stereotype that Black quarterbacks weren’t smart enough to play under center. Briscoe became a Pro Bowl receiver but forever resented the position switch.
Here, Sharpe’s claim is just wrong. When Briscoe died in June of 2022, Wilson tweeted out condolences and thanked Briscoe for paving a path for Black quarterbacks like him.
“Thanks to ‘The Magician’ for breaking down doors for me & many others! #RipMarlinBriscoe”
By that point, Sharpe and Johnson moved the conversation from Wilson’s comments on Black quarterbacks and his place in NFL history and briefly touched on Wilson’s seasonal outlook. Before moving on, Sharpe offered a conclusion on the back-and-forth.
“Russ, hopefully I cleared up what my thinking was. Why I said what I said. I understand you have more than the right to refute anything that was said by me or Ocho on this podcast. That’s well within your right. We wish you the best moving forward. It didn’t work out in Denver. But hopefully it works out three times better than what it did in Pittsburgh.”
At this point, there really isn’t much more to be said about the conversation. Sharpe and Wilson should really just get on a phone call and hash it out. It doesn’t seem like the two are talking past each other and trading words in the media isn’t accomplishing much of anything. Sharpe said he’s only spoken with Wilson a few times throughout his career and hoped Wilson returned to being the quarterback he was in Dallas.
While Sharpe didn’t exactly back down from his critique, it’s doubtful Wilson addresses the matter again. And a story that was bigger than it probably should’ve been can be put to rest.
