Russell Wilson Had One Glaring Omission on List of 'Great' Coaches He's Played For

The Steelers quarterback has played for some legendary coaches in his career.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson warms up before a game. / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Russell Wilson certainly had a rocky time in Denver when he played for the Broncos in 2022 and '23. The two sides didn't end on the best terms before he was signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency this past offseason.

Wilson was seen as the future of the Broncos organization when he signed a five-year contract extension worth $242.6 million in Sept. 2022. His first year resulted in a 5–12 record with head coach Nathaniel Hackett being fired during the season. That eventually brought Sean Payton to Denver to lead Wilson in his second season with the Broncos, but that's where tensions rose.

It didn't seem like Wilson and Payton necessarily got along, and the Broncos eventually benched Wilson in the last two games, then released him in the offseason. It sounds like Wilson could still have a bad taste in his mouth.

When talking toYahoo! Sports' Jori Epstein about getting his mojo back this season, Wilson spoke highly of his time so far in Pittsburgh and of his career with the Seattle Seahawks, but he left off talking positively about the Broncos and playing under Payton.

"I'm in a good place here in Pittsburgh. I'm excited about it and happy where my feet are. Just to focus on where you are right now. I look at it as a tremendous honor. I don't look at it as a bad thing," Wilson said. “I get to play for Pete Carroll and I get to play for Mike Tomlin—two all-time greats.”

Payton is arguably considered an "all-time great" coach to many NFL fans, so it was quite the omission from Wilson. Whether it was purposeful or not is up for debate.

Wilson has one Steelers start under his belt after Sunday night's 37–15 win over the New York Jets. He missed the first six contests as he dealt with a calf injury.

---

More of the Latest Around the NFL

feed