If the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t already have a quarterback controversy with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, they might now. Not necessary because of the way Fields played against the Atlanta Falcons in Wilson’s Week 1 absence, but because of Wilson’s reaction to Pittsburgh’s victory.
Steelers insider Mark Kaboly said on The Pat McAfee Show on September 9 that Wilson wasn’t the most jubilant teammate after the Steelers knocked off the Falcons 18-10.
“In the locker room, he didn’t look like a happy-go-lucky type of individual,” said Kaboly.
When asked whether that could have been because Wilson was potentially giving Fields his day in the sun, Kaboly responded, “I just think he wasn’t happy that he didn’t play.”
The Steelers ruled out Wilson because of a calf injury. The 35-year-old signal caller “tweaked” his calf on July 26 while pushing a sled during the conditioning test to open training camp.
Wilson returned to the practice field and appeared in the team’s preseason finale. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin then named him the team’s starting quarterback on August 28.
But Wilson became a limited participant at practice due to his calf beginning on September 5. The team officially ruled him out for Week 1 hours prior to kickoff.
Was Russell Wilson ‘Pouting’ After Steelers Week 1 Win?
The large panel of personalities and producers on The Pat McAfee show took what Kaboly said as Wilson was “pouting” after the victory. However, it should be noted that the large panel was having a lot of fun repeating the word, “pouting.”
In Kaboly’s actual analysis of Wilson’s body language, he didn’t argue Wilson was “pouting.” But Kaboly suggested there was a difference in the quarterback’s normal energy level.
“Well, in terms of Russell Wilson it’s considering ‘pouting’ because he’s so positive about absolutely everything,” said Kaboly.
The idea that Wilson was disappointed or upset that he didn’t play in Week 1 gels with a pre-game report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
“Steelers QB Russell Wilson, listed as questionable for Sunday due to a calf injury, has told the team that he can play vs. the Falcons, but the team doctors are being more cautious, per sources,” Schefter wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on September 7. “The team plans to make a final decision about his status Sunday.”
On one hand, fans should be pleased Wilson wasn’t happy he didn’t play. Competitors should always want to be on the field willing to help their team win.
But it’s important to also be a good teammate.
Wilson Served as Steelers No. 3 QB Against Falcons
Interestingly, Kaboly explained that while Wilson was not healthy enough to start, the Steelers did make him the team’s No. 3 emergency quarterback.
It seems odd that a player could be healthy enough for an emergency situation but not to start. But that’s not necessarily out of the ordinary for the Steelers.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac and multiple other Steelers insiders reported this past winter that the team asked Kenny Pickett to serve in the emergency signal caller role in Week 17 last season while he was on the mend.
In 2015, Ben Roethlisberger was not healthy enough to start a game against the Cleveland Browns. But he was the team’s backup while Landry Jones started. Roethlisberger entered the game after Jones suffered an injury and passed for 379 yards with 3 touchdowns in a 30-9 victory.
Kaboly added in his report on The Pat McAfee Show that Wilson wasn’t close to starting in Week 1. He made that claim despite other reports suggesting the team didn’t make its final quarterback decision until hours before facing the Falcons.
Kaboly told McAfee, though, that Wilson “tested” his calf on the field before the game without any doctors or trainers with him.
Will Wilson Play Against Denver Broncos in Week 2?
Kaboly’s analysis of Wilson’s reaction after the season opening win could be important with a showdown against the Denver Broncos up next.
The Broncos released Wilson this offseason. Not only that, they wanted to move on from the veteran quarterback so badly that they are paying him $39 million to play for the Steelers this fall.
Clearly, Week 2 is a revenge game for Wilson. So if he was indeed unhappy he didn’t play in Week 1, he will likely be very displeased should he not be on the field in Denver on September 15.
“What’s interesting is they play Denver this week,” Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show. “Russell’s gonna want to be out there.”
Wilson started 30 games over two seasons with the Broncos. Pundits expected him to finally be the team’s answer at quarterback, but he led the team to a disappointing 11-19 record.
On a personal level, this week’s game could be the most important matchup of the season for Wilson.
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