When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Russell Wilson earlier this year, there was some skepticism among fans due to the rumors that had been circling around his name. His reputation took a hit after a poor stint with the Denver Broncos, but so far in Pittsburgh, he’s been the ultimate pro. Not everything you see on social media is always real, but some recent comments from T.J. Watt indicate that Wilson has been nothing but genuine with the Steelers.
Appearing recently on the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams, Watt was asked about the main leadership quality that Wilson has displayed so far.
“I’d say consistency,” Watt said. “When a guy like that comes in the building, he’s kind of this bigger-than-life character. Then when you see him come in the building, you don’t know what you’ve seen online, if that’s real. When he’s coming in the building, he’s been so consistent with his work, with his positivity. He hasn’t gotten too high; he hasn’t gotten too low. That’s what you wanna see.”
Consistent is the perfect word to describe Wilson’s tenure with the Steelers so far. Since he signed here, he’s done nothing but work hard. In OTAs, the offseason, and now in training camp, Wilson is constantly working. He might be injured right now, but he’s still doing the absolute most he can to stay involved with the team.
Wilson has been criticized in the past for this upbeat attitude, with some people calling it fake or toxic positivity, but it sounds like that’s just who he is. You can call him corny, but you can’t say that he doesn’t work hard. If the worst thing he does all year is act a little corny, then that would be an absolute win. The Steelers have dealt with far worse issues with players in the past.
Even through this injury, with people calling for Justin Fields to take his job, Wilson has still been nothing but helpful. He’s been working to help mentor Fields, which is not something every veteran quarterback would do.
If he’s got Watt’s approval, then he should have everyone’s approval. No one wants to win a playoff game on the Steelers more than Watt, and Wilson gets the team closer to that goal. His positive attitude will probably come in handy during the season at some point, too. Wilson should be the starting quarterback when healthy, and it seems like he’s already earned the respect of his teammates, which is an important part of the entire equation.
