Stephen A. Smith Sounds Off on Russell Wilson in 2-Minute Rant

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a couple of weeks away from the 2024 season and have yet to officially name a starting quarterback. It is a two-man race between veteran Russell Wilson and former Chicago Bears signal-caller Justin Fields, both of which were offseason acquisitions for the Steelers.

With one preseason game remaining, Wilson has remained calm and very unworried when it comes to the competition, which is nothing new for the cheerful veteran. However, Stephen A. Smith was not a fan of Wilson's attitude and went off on him in a two-minute rant during an episode of First Take.

"Russell Wilson you're beginning to piss me off," Smith stated. "You stunk last year. You were paid $37.8 million to go away. The Denver Broncos is willing to eat nearly $38 million to get rid of you...And you sitting there fighting for a starting job with Justin Fields...And he's sitting there with some smile on his face."

This comes on the heels of the Steelers' preseason Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills, in which Mike Tomlin stated, "It was better in some areas but still JV in too many others," in regards to the quarterback competition.

Fields went 11-of-17 with 92 yards and Wilson 8-of-10 with 47 yards, while neither quarterback threw a touchdown in the 9-3 loss. Wilson was sacked three times while Fields was sacked once, although both quarterbacks showed areas of concern.

Smith's rant on Wilson was certainly something, with both Dan Orlovsky and Damien Woody holding back their facial expressions.

You ain't Aaron Rodgers," Smith said. "You don't get to say that. You got to show up...You fighting for your career. Act like it, Russell Wilson. Act like it...I don't understand how it's cool for you to sit up there with a smile on your face...You are fighting for your career with Justin Fields."

Wilson's time with the Denver Broncos was a major disappointment after he was acquired via a trade with the Seattle Seahawks. Now, he is likely fighting for his career and is hoping to start one more time.

Earlier in the episode, Woody expressed his concerns about Wilson's performance amid the QB battle and Orlosky previously said Fields should be the starter.

All in all, Stephen A. Smith did not hide his feelings one bit about Russell Wilson's mindset during the quarterback competition, and it will be worth watching to see who takes a step forward in the Steelers preseason finale on Saturday.

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