Super Bowl Champ Makes Public Apology to Steelers QB

The former defender and current analyst made a public apology to Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson.

Oct 28, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) celebrates a win against the New York Giants at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson has become one of the more polarizing players as his career has gone on.

Since winning the Super Bowl in 2013 with the Seattle Seahawks, Wilson's career has been full of ups and downs. At the end of the day, however, Wilson has still been a dominant force among quarterbacks during his career.

He has had his detractors through his career, including a prominent one in former NFL defensive lineman Chris Long.

During the offseason, Long gave his take on Wilson, being quite up front about where he thought Wilson stood.

"Russell Wilson is seeing how the other half lives. He's not only feeling the unfairness of the NFL, but he's also feeling the pressure because he's never had a guy backing him up like this,” Long said. "The minute he doesn't play well, that stadium, that city's gonna turn on him."

Now that Wilson has been thrust into the starting role, Long is ready to change his mind publicly.

"I know I've already said this, but I wanted to make sure I said it," Long said. "This is my public apology tour on one topic, and that's Russell Wilson. I've gotten a lot of things right over the last year. This is one that I didn't get right. Justin Fields didn't do quite enough, and he might be perfect for what they're trying to do. He might be perfect for this coordinator. He might be perfect for taking advantage of the shots, the shot opportunities that we didn't even know were there, the play-action."

While Long didn't necessarily have to apologize, the points he makes about Wilson are true. The quarterback has been able to excel in limited time at the helm and has the bye week in order to set himself up for success against the Commanders.

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