Russell Wilson didn’t get a chance to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to a victory over his former team, the Denver Broncos, but he did receive a game ball after their 13-6 win. It was a nice gesture from Mike Tomlin to acknowledge the past that Wilson shares with the Broncos. However, analyst Chris “Mad Dog” Russo is furious that Tomlin would give a game ball to a player who didn’t actually play in the game.
“How does Russell Wilson get a game ball last week from Tomlin when they beat the Broncos?” Russo asked Wednesday on ESPN’s First Take. “What the hell did he do to help win the game? Mike Tomlin gave a game ball to the Pittsburgh backup quarterback because he happened to play a couple of years in Denver.
“It’s not like [when] he was on Seattle, and they won, and they unceremoniously dumped him after 10 years of great football.”
Russo doesn’t seem to really understand the situation. Wilson got a petty game ball because the Steelers recognized his history with the Broncos. It wasn’t just Wilson that received one of these either. Corliss Waitman and Brandon Johnson, a practice squad WR, also received petty game balls because they used to play for the Broncos. It wasn’t like this was a personal gift to Wilson.
While Wilson did only play two years in Denver, it was a rough period for him. It seriously hurt his reputation, and he reportedly had a poor relationship with Broncos head coach Sean Payton. It left people not only questioning if Wilson could still play, but if he would be a problem inside a locker room.
It had to hurt for Wilson to be unable to play in that game. The calf injury he’s nursing isn’t serious, and he probably could have put up a fight with Tomlin to play this week, but he handled the situation like a pro. He even helped Justin Fields prepare for the game, which is probably another reason he got a game ball.
It’s not like it hurt anything either. Fields sounded happy that Wilson got to experience the win, and with how good of a leader Wilson has been, the same can probably be said for the rest of the team. It sounds like just an excuse to bash Wilson. He’s been the ultimate professional in Pittsburgh, and this game still had to mean a lot to him, even if he didn’t play in it.
