Stephen A. Smith torches former Badger legend on ESPN's First Take

Sports media personality Stephan A. Smith went ballistic on former Wisconsin legend Russell Wilson during ESPN’s First Take on Thursday.

The criticism arrived after Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin reaffirmed his position regarding Wilson’s role as his team’s starting quarterback. The former UW icon also downplayed any concerns about Pittsburgh’s offense in a recent interview on 93.7 The Fan.

While the New Jersey native appears to believe the offense will hum under his leadership, the preseason outputs suggest otherwise.

Through two games this preseason, former Chicago Bear Justin Fields has logged 159 passing yards on 16 of 23 through the air. Wilson, meanwhile, notched 47 yards on eight completed passes in his Steelers debut on Aug. 17.

Smith, never shy about sharing his opinion, shared these thoughts on Wilson and the Steelers’ quarterback situation:

“You stunk last year,” Smith said. “The Denver Broncos [ate] nearly $38 million to get rid of you. You’re sitting there fighting for a starting job with Justin Fields. You’re not fighting for a starting job with Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson.”

“All this smiling and getting along, I don’t want to hear this stuff from him,” Smith added. “Too cool for school. You’re fighting for your career. Act like it, Russell Wilson. I don’t understand how it’s cool to for you to sit up there with a smile on your face.

Here is the full clip:

With roughly two weeks remaining until the Steelers’ opener against the Atlanta Falcons, Wilson still remains atop the team’s quarterback depth chart. His first unit will square off with the Detroit Lions on Aug. 24 in the crew’s final preseason game ahead of the 2024 slate.