During the offseason, Mark Schlereth accused Steelers QB Russell Wilson of “toxic positivity.” He thought he was really onto something, as did so many others in the past who questioned Wilson’s sincerity. For the Steelers, though, they are very comfortable in knowing exactly who he is. And so is Wilson, who has known all along that those on the outside doubt his personality.
“I think a lot of people think it’s fake,” Wilson told Hannah Storm for ESPN recently. He sat down for an extended interview prior to this past Sunday’s Steelers game against the Washington Commanders, but the full interview was only released this week.
“I think people think that, you being positive all the time, how is it that somebody [can be that way]? I just believe in great things,” Wilson insisted on where his positivity comes from. “I believe in just having great faith and believing by faith that all things are possible and believing in the people around you and believing in the work that you put in and believing in great moments. Because I’ve had a lot of great ones before. Sometimes when you’ve had a lot of great ones, you can visualize all the great ones, and then the next one being the next best moment.”
One’s faith is, of course, a frequent source of positivity, and Wilson lives his faith. Along with DeShon Elliott, both 2024 free agents cited Steelers HC Mike Tomlin’s sincere faith as one of the qualities that attracted them as well. But there are plenty of faithful people who don’t live up to Wilson’s infectious, bubbly enthusiasm. He explained where that comes from, too.
“There’s a lot more to be done, and that’s the fun part,” Wilson said, referring in part to the Steelers’ season, as well as his career as a whole. “That’s the journey. That’s the challenge of it, it understanding that there’s obstacles in our way, and those obstacles are all opportunities. And when you believe that and you think that way and you have a heart of gratitude and start believing and becoming that, I just firmly believe that it’s got to turn to good.”
In his 13th season, there isn’t much Russell Wilson hasn’t done or seen, of course. He just moved ahead of John Elway with his 32nd game-winning drive, as well as his 40th game-winning drive. While he went through adversity with the Broncos, it has been all positivity since stepping on the field for the Steelers.
Of course, his Steelers tenure began by being bested by a sled. Wilson didn’t get back onto the field until the middle of the preseason, then he aggravated his calf injury. That kept him sidelined for the first six games of the regular season, the longest injury stretch of his career by far.
But now the Steelers are 3-0 with Wilson, who has six touchdown passes to one interception. He’s averaging 8.7 yards per pass attempt and is simply playing some of his best ball in years. And it’s gotten plenty of Steelers fans feeling an awful lot more positive than they expected when he first signed.
