Analyst Says ‘Toxic Positivity’ Led to Russell Wilson’s Downfall

Despite how Russell Wilson’s Denver Broncos tenure ended, the Pittsburgh Steelers believe the nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback still has plenty left in the tank.

Which is why they signed Wilson to be Kenny Pickett’s successor and possible bridge QB until Justin Fields is ready to take over the starting job.

Whether or not the Steelers get their money’s worth from Wilson remains to be seen, but one person who’s skeptical that the 35-year-old quarterback can end his career on a high note is former Broncos offensive lineman Mark Schlereth.

On his “Stinkin’ Truth” podcast, Schlereth ripped into Wilson, blaming the former Super Bowl winner for his disastrous two years in Denver and claiming he has a jaded view of what he brings to the Steelers, a team with playoff aspirations.

“I think when you're delusional, you think 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.”

Though Schlereth noted Wilson is still mobile and hasn’t lost any athleticism, he still has doubts on the results in Pittsburgh being any better than they were in Denver, where Wilson completed 63.3% of his passes for 6,594 yards, 42 touchdowns and 19 interceptions with a passer rating of 91.2, which is significantly lower than his career average of 100.0.

“I still believe he has that thought in his mind that he could end his career very much like Drew Brees did,” Schlereth added.

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