Russell Wilson is focused on all the wrong things at Steelers OTAs

Russell Wilson doesn't blink, even if he might be scalded after coming over from the Denver Broncos. For slightly more than a million dollars and the Walton-Penner Family fronting the rest of the bill, welcome to Western P.A., Mr. Unlimited! Despite having played like absolute crap the last three years, this washed king has already been anointed as the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

When meeting with the media for the first time during OTAs, Wilson channeled his inner cliche machine from the ole Pete Carroll Idiom Factory from over in Seattle. Wilson may have come to Pittsburgh to play for Mike Tomlin, but he is going to need to win more than eight games to keep his job. Tomlin will find a way to win nine because that is who he is and that is what he does. Oh, boy...

All the while, Wilson is talking about all the wrong things in front of the camera while at Steelers OTAs. He is in denial about all the bad things that happened previously. This man was born to be a politician, I can tell you that much. Rather than focus on how he can help the Steelers win, we see him dwelling on the past more than an overweight, balding guy sitting at the bar in his letterman's jacket.

"I wouldn't say I'm scalded. I'd say if anything, I've learned a lot. I think that internally, you get better. You get tougher. Use your experiences, use the challenges you've gone through to be the best version of you. I don't blink. I look forward to the new opportunity."

This is either going to end tremendously for both parties involved, or this will be a total grease fire...

Shouldn't Steelers fans want Wilson to come across as humbled as his backup Justin Fields seems?

Russell Wilson has no idea the other shoe is going to drop once again

Do I want it to work out for him? I guess. Football is better when the team Wilson plays for is good. He might be the corniest quarterback of all time, but who doesn't love a good image rehabilitation story? Then again, Fields may be a supportive teammate, but one who had what was rightfully his swept out from under him due to the Carolina Panthers' incompetence. Yes, you read that correctly, Carolina.

I hate to say it, but the impression that I get from Wilson is he may not be ready for what is breathing down his neck from the Steelers sidelines. Had Carolina had a remote clue what it was doing as an operation, the Chicago Bears would not have had the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. I feel for Fields, I really do. The Bears had no choice but to take Caleb Williams No. 1 overall and move on without him.

Simply put, how Fields and Wilson arrived in Pittsburgh could not be any different. I am sure there were assurances put out there by Tomlin to Wilson that he was going to be the starter, for whatever that is worth. After getting cut by the Broncos, he picked to come to Pittsburgh. Fields had been tied to Pittsburgh throughout the trade process, but again, he was traded there, not signed by the team.

Overall, I have such a hard time being optimistic about the Steelers under Wilson's guidance. They have arguably the toughest second-half schedule in football. Once the going gets tough, will the Steelers get going under Wilson? For that reason, I suspect that a mid-to-late season pivot to Fields feels increasingly inevitable. He is not going to worry about records, he is just going to play football.

Ultimately, I truly wonder if Wilson's attitude is going to work long-term with Pittsburgh. He has been humbled, I will agree to that. However, this is a town built on the backs of tough people. It is why a defensive-laden culture permeates the football team so greatly. In a way, I kind of feel like Fields has the better chance at being their savior than Wilson. Let's hope he doesn't go full-blown Kenny Pickett.

Pittsburgh is still going to win its games, but Wilson needs to move on from the Denver stuff already.