Steelers Win The Russ Sweepstakes

Hey Pittsburgh. Hey Steelers country. Hey Steeler nation. Let’s steel. 

Hey Steeler nation… let’s weld. Hey Steeler nation… let’s cringe. 

Hey Steeler fan do you hear that? That’s your song… but it’s never gonna be the same… because renegade is now cringa-gade. And Cringe-A-Russ is now renegade Russ. 

That's how Russell Wilson announced his big news on the X yesterday... With a hype video set to Renegade and the words: Year 13. Grateful. @Steelers

So congrats Steelers, you just won the Russ sweepstakes. A sweepstakes that included Russ trying to force himself on the Giants and attempting to manufacture interest from the Raiders. A sweepstakes that was ultimately decided in one weekend on one trip to Pittsburgh. A sweepstakes where the prize was a Sack of Potatoes.

And that Sack of Potatoes SHOULD be grateful to land with Mike Tomlin. Considering the guy never has HAD a losing season. Better not be the first one to take Tomlin under .500, Russet. You better be ready to win this job and at least nine games Russet. 

Wilson should also be grateful to land in a competition with Kenny 'Tiny Hands' Pickett. Because it really shouldn’t be much of a competition at all. It better not be much of a competition. Mike Tomlin isn’t bringing this dude in to be a cheerleader or to lead the aisle calisthenics on team flights. Mike Tomlin is bringing this dude in to play. And if he can't beat out Tiny Hands for a job then the dude can kiss his gold jacket goodbye. 

It's amazing that we've even made it to this point. That he even has to compete for a job with Tiny Hands. That Denver is paying this guy $38 mill to hit the freaking the bricks: that’s how little they think of him: they’re paying him nearly $40 mill to never show his face there every again; and on top of that, there’s actually a slight question as to whether or not he can beat out tiny hands: don’t get it twisted: he’ll be the starter. But the fact that we’re even discussing it tells you how far this guy has fallen: he was not only a lock for the hall of fame, but an alleged all-time great, just ask him, like five minutes ago. 

So, then there’s the question of it: is this a good thing for the Steelers?

Sure. I guess. , considering the guy basically comes free. It’s a Super Bowl winning QB, who is a hand off away from being a 2x Super Bowl winning QB, who until recently was considered a gold jacket guy, who comes for the veteran minimum of $1.2 mil. 

It would cost more for the Steelers to bring back Mason Rudolph than bring in Russet. So it’s not hard to see why they went for this. Russ isn’t nearly what he was: maybe never was what he was made out to be, but he’s better than what they have, even at 35 and they’re getting him for essentially nothing. Let’s just not get crazy about Russ coming in there, and either he or they going next level as a result. They might be pretty good for each other. But pretty good isn’t going to get Russ his stated goal of two more rings in five years, nor the Steelers one for the thumb. And yes, Russ actually did say that, on record recently:

Once again, delusional much? Once again, my dude, if you won one, in your prime, in ten years on a GREAT team, how the hell are you going to win two in five years on an average team.  Oh and playing on a one year deal, for the veteran’s minimum? You’re not...  So you really need to stop saying that.

At least Pittsburgh's not just running it back. I know you’re frustrated Steeler fan, and I know you’re tired of Mike Tomlin and the last thing you wanted was another season of Tomlin with Tiny Hands being the best QB option. So now you have Tomlin with Tiny Hands AND Renegade Russ. If only Matt Nova Scotia was still there the Steelers might overtake the Cowboys as Team Content.

But Arthur Smith and Russell Wilson working together is really interesting too. I actually don’t hate that combo. Here's why: Art wants to run the ball. Art wants power running and to pass off the power run game, just like he had last time he was an OC in Tennessee with Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry. And the last time we really saw Russet be successful was when he had a power running game to work off of. So that part of the plan actually makes some sense.

In other words, 'Let Russ Cook' is dead. Russet’s career as a chef is over. Hopefully that also means no more creepy sandwich ads too. Hopefully he cuts down on the cringe and the cheese across the board. Because he needs to.

Russet needs to humble himself and keep his mouth shut and go earn it all back. His job, his respect, his career. And given how far he has fallen, there probably isn’t a better situation to walk into than this one. Just don’t blow this one Russet. Don't be the first QB to take Tomlin under .500. Don't be the QB that gets Tomlin run. 

What Russet really needs to do is take a page out of Baker’s book. We all know Russ has had a better career but look where Baker Mayfield is now. Look what Baker just pulled off without any cringe or cheese or catch phrases or airplane jumping jacks or offices on the second floor or personal coaches or any of that nonsense

Two seconds ago, Baker was being passed around the league like a bad cold. Then he bets on himself and takes a 1 year 4 mil deal to compete with Kyle Trask in Tampa. Did he whine about it? Did he launch a social media campaign to promote himself? Did he come up with some goofy catchphrase? Hell no. He just got to work.

And now he signed a 3 year, 100 mil deal with $50 mil in guarantees. Now Baker is gonna make $30 mil to be the QB of the Bucs next season while Denver pays Russet $38 mil not to be there. And if Russ ever wants to get paid again by the team he's actually playing for, he should follow the Baker playbook. And not the Cringe Cookbook. 

Way to go Tampa for not blowing it this offseason. They just won their division and a playoff game, there was no reason to blow it up. And way to go Baker for being counted out once again and left for dead once again and underestimated once again and once again coming out of it even better. 

Clearly, this was the best move for everyone involved, and going back to the conversation he and I had in Vegas the week of the super bowl, you knew right then and there, that while he would have other options and suitors, he didn’t want to leave Tampa.

The ball was in Tampa's court and they didn't blow it. Just like the ball is now in Russet's court... It's time to get to work. It's not time to demand your own office or your own staff or call your own film sessions to show highlights of yourself. It's not time to coin a new catchphrase or trademark a new nickname.  Or get all cringe with it on social:  you know all the stuff that made everyone in Denver hate you enough to pay you $38 mil to not be there.  Instead of running your COOKBOOK, Russ, run Baker’s playbook. It got him paid, and re-earned all sorts of respect, and resurrected his career. Now, let’s see if you have it in you to do the same thing?  Because even though you love to blame others when things go wrong, if you don’t capitalize on this, it will all be on you.