NFL analyst has the funniest phrase for Russell Wilson's failure with Broncos

In most instances, positivity is a good thing. Positive thinking has psychological benefits, whether somebody is attempting to speak things into existence or attempting to manifest their dreams with a positive approach. There are over a dozen TED Talks that claim positivity is the secret to happiness.

But is it possible that someone could become inebriated by too much positive thinking? In the wrong hands, could positivity become harmful? Dangerous? Toxic?

Three-time Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth certainly thinks so. In fact, he believes the NFL watched it happen over the past two years.

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed quarterback Russell Wilson this offseason with hopes that he could serve as a stopgap while Justin Fields develops. Schlereth, however, believes Wilson is destined to fail in Pittsburgh.

Mark Schlereth attributes Russell Wilson's struggles to "toxic positivity"

On "The Stinkin Truth" podcast, Schlereth discussed how a zone-read offense with Fields would give the Steelers the best chance to be competitive, noting that Wilson's "toxic positivity" could hinder him from finding success in Pittsburgh.

"Certainly, I will tell you that Russ is still very athletic, he can still move," Schlereth said. "But I don't believe Russ wants to become a zone-read quarterback. I still believe he has that thought in his mind that he could end his career very much like Drew Brees ended his."

Just two years ago, Wilson appeared to be on a Hall of Fame trajectory. The nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback was widely considered to be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL when the Denver Broncos acquired him from the Seattle Seahawks in 2022.

With Super Bowl aspirations, Denver sent multiple first- and second-round draft picks to Seattle and promptly signed Wilson to a massive five-year, $242.5 million contract extension.

For the next two years, Wilson took Broncos Country on a ride — and it certainly wasn't a good one.

"I think when you're delusional, you can point the finger at eight million different places that say, ‘This is why this happened, this is why,’" Schlereth said. "That toxic positivity and surrounding yourself with people that basically [tell you], ‘It's not your fault, man.’ … I mean, that’s not even derogatory. That’s just a fact."

Wilson led the Broncos to an 11-19 record in his 30 starts while recording just 6,594 passing yards with 42 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. He recorded a career-low 16 passing touchdowns in 2022, which he followed up with a career-low 3,070 passing yards in 2023. Denver released Wilson in March, deciding that an $85 million dead cap charge was better than keeping the struggling quarterback on their roster.

In Pittsburgh, Wilson will have to compete for the starting role for the first time since he entered the league as a third-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.