Stephen A. is DISGUSTED with Shannon Sharpe about the Russell Wilson-Steelers move 🙄 | First Take

all right Adam I'm coming to you here

first tell me this why the Steelers for

Russ how did this happen well Molly

here's the situation essentially last

year or last week that Denver Broncos

granted Russell Wilson permission to

speak with other teams once they did

that he started his free agent tour

early so he was able to speak in an

exploratory way with the New York Giants

he was able to meet with the Pittsburgh

Steelers in Pittsburgh spent about 6

hours there on Friday Mike Tomlin has

gone up against Russell Wilson twice in

his career in those two games Mike

Tomlin is 0 and2 and Russell Wilson has

thrown eight touchdowns and no

interceptions Mike talman's been pretty

clear about the fact that they wanted to

bring in somebody to compete with Kenny

picket this season Russell Wilson is

essentially on a situation here where

the Denver Broncos are paying $ 37.8

million of his salary while the

Pittsburgh Steelers only have to pay him

the veteran minimum 1.2 there's no risk

at all involved for the Pittsburgh

Steelers now Russell Wilson comes into

Pittsburgh he takes over there and

competes with Kenny picket for the

starting job he believes he'll be the

guy he doesn't go there if he doesn't

think he's not going to be the guy and

the Steelers have a new quarterback to

go up against Kenny picket that's what I

think he was thinking in choosing the

Pittsburgh Steelers Adam shef always

good to see you buddy thank you for

being on the show quick quick quick

absolutely quick question here did they

pick Wilson because of the low risk or

did they pick Wilson because the Chicago

Bears are asking for too much and they

weren't willing to pay that price for

Justin Fields well Stephen A I believe

that they picked Russell Wilson because

he fit what they were trying to do and

he was the right price both and it's not

that Chicago is asking too much it's

that as the bearers reviewed their

options or as the Steelers reviewed

their options they made the

determination that this solution to

their particular quarterback situation

was better than the one of trading

whatever it would take to go get Justin

Fields with the fifth year option that

they'd have to pick up and guarantee or

not have to give up the draft

compensation whereas they can go get

Russell Wilson who's been to nine Pro

bowls who's won a Super Bowl who last

year threw 26 touchdowns and eight

interceptions and I know the Broncos

moved on from him and Shawn Payton gave

him his permission to go seek another

team but the fact of the matter is he is

an accomplished guy and Pittsburgh's

paying him $1.2 million without any

compensation to the Denver Broncos which

is why we say no

so I think all those factors enter into

why it's Russell Adam before we bring in

Shannon and Dan who's going to be the

next quarterback to find a

home well Molly everybody keeps waiting

for kurk cousins that is the big Domino

to fall but while we're waiting Baker

Mayfield goes back to Tampa Russell

Wilson goes to Pittsburgh to me Kirt

cousins has to make a decision because

there's so much money so much at stake

so much tied up in him that Minnesota

needs to get an answer and Atlanta needs

to get an answer and those seem to be

the two places that are obviously

recording him interested in him and

we'll see what he chooses but cousins is

the most obvious guy out there and

there's so much rotting on it that to me

I would think that we get an answer from

him probably at some point today but we

shall see all right Adam thank you so

much appreciate it we'll talk to you

soon thank all right I want to bring in

Shannon and Dan now do we have those

gentlemen there they are Shannon good

morning great to see you uh Shannon tell

me this the Steelers do you feel they're

the best team to let Russ Cook

I do they have a ve they have a very

they have a very strong defense and I

think Russ when Russ looks at it you

look at the option they got jayen Warren

nji Harris running the football they got

uh uh you look at the wide receiver

Court I it looks like Deontay Johnson

might be on the the trading block but I

love George pickings I love Fri M

offensive line is decent not great but

decent and I think Russ is in an ideal

situation he goes in and he's competing

against Kenny picket now Kenny Piet has

has two years to solidify this job if

Kenny picket was as entrenched as many

thought he was Russ would not be an

option the mere fact that Russ is an

option lets you know that they're not as

high or as strong on H Kenny picket as

many believe they are I don't believe he

holds off Russ Russ will be the starter

uh I I think this is an ideal situation

for Russ he goes to a team um that

believe that I I think they believe in

him I think Mike Tomlin really likes him

I think Mike Tomlin realizes that Russ

is better than anything that he's had

since a young Ben rensburg and this

gives him the best chance cuz he's tired

of going you know oh he he's never had a

losing season that's not good enough for

Mike Tomlin and I think Steeler

ownership has made that abundantly clear

you know winning season 10 and seven

that's not good enough for them they

want to be in position where they can

compete for championships and they

haven't been able to do that in a very

long time and I think Russ is a viable

option but the question is what Russ are

they getting are they getting uh four or

five year ago rust are they getting a

rust that the uh the Seattle Seahawks

says nah we're good we're going to move

on the Broncos says we're going to eat

$85 million in dead money and we'll pay

you $ 38 $37 million to move on so the

question is what rust are they getting

whatever the case that may be that rust

that they're getting is better than

Kenny picket well let me say this to you

Molly uh uh uh DOL and whatever I am

very very very disgusted with Shannon

sharp this morning and I'm glad that

he's on the screen right now I expect

more enthus enthusiasm we are down here

in Austin Texas I had to give a speech

for South by Southwest yesterday this

brother is being honored with the

podcast of the Year this is I mean you

you would think that Shannon would be a

bit I don't know whether it's it's it's

true or not or whatever the case may be

but this is stuff that I'm hearing down

here this is stuff that I'm hearing my

point is with all the great work that

Shannon is doing you would think that he

would be a bit more enthusiastic when

he's talking about Russell Wilson and

what what does he do oh no that's not

something that's going on here he say m

excuse me put Shannon back on I want to

see that man's face I want to see that

man's face first of all don't give me

that bro let me tell you something right

now I want to hear that this is Kenny

picket we talking about anything is an

upgrade with the quarterback situation

to Steel is had last year now me I'm not

gonna sit up here and Rave about Russell

Wilson but when you say Kenny picket

Mason Rudolph uh uh uh Mitchell trabitz

that's what you had last year and now

here here we are today and we talking

about Russell Wilson and if he's this

please he's throwing 26 touchdowns last

year the Steelers thr 25 in the last two

years shann and I expect more enthusiasm

from you

bro it depends on Russell Wilson they're

going to get Shannon if they get any

Russell Wilson but

2022 this team will cont contend for the

division championship yes I understand

Baltimore and Cincinnati are there

they're obviously the favorites

Cleveland's defense what do we get with

DeShawn that's the only bad year Russell

Wilson's had is 2022 shaneon stepen a

Molly I said it this I think this is the

dumbest conversation I think I've been a

part of in the last 18 months of what

Russell Wilson is Russell Wilson in his

last four seasons he's gone 40

touchdowns in like 11 picks then he went

25 touchdowns in seven picks then he had

the bad 20122 year with Nathaniel hacket

he went like 16 touchdowns and 11 picks

last year he had 26 and8 we talk about

Russell Wilson in this public forum like

he's an afterthought like he can't play

maybe he's not and I don't want to sell

it as he is this top five quarterback

but everything that says playwise you

can tell me Shawn pton carried him four

years of evidence in his last four years

he's got like 110 touchdowns and 30

interceptions but we talk about him like

he's a backup for some reason if he just

goes and plays the way he did last year

next year for Pittsburgh they're going

to a playoff game that's all he's got to

go do Russell Wilson is still still a

top 12 quarterback in the

NFL question but my question is if he's

everything that you're saying that he is

why would two teams move off of him move

off of him for potentially Gino Smith

and Drew lock and they move off of him

for uh uh the kid that that that that I

don't I forget his name he came from uh

the Raiders why would team Contin move

off a guy that you said is what you

believe he is something is not adding up

can I answer that go ahead can I answer

that real quick number one Shannon let

me I mean far be far be it for me the

nonf football player on this panel to

bring this up but you were in Seattle

for a decade so that's not like Parton

ways per se he was there for a decade

and then in the case of Denver well he

got contaminated by himself and his ego

because it was a a lot of nonf football

stuff really alienated folks and then

you had Nathaniel hacket that's a double

whammy so that might have something to

do with it and then Shawn Pon comes in

there and he instantly does not like you

because of that residue and that might

have something to do with it as well I I

see Shannon that's where I stand on it

you know like we did Lewis rck and I

called a Monday night football game

after they moved on from Russ and there

was the overwhelming thing of it was

just time they they wanted new

leadership they wanted a new voice and

again he was he was going to be asking

for an extension so all those V because

all those variables they they wanted

something different and something new

that's just it had just come to that

point and if you go to Denver we all

knew that Shawn Payton going in there

was going to want his guy Russell Wilson

wasn't necessarily his guy now does his

Play Warrant $40 million a year pay

Shannon no no but his play is still good

solid relatively high level starting

quarterback play in the NFL no

question well help Dio can you help me

understand what team wants to move on

from a guy it threw 40 touchdown with 11

picks what team wants to move on from a

guy that made TW that threw 25

touchdowns in seven ints tell so Jim har

uh Jim Harbaugh does he want to move on

from Justin Herbert does he want his guy

no because they haven't been together

for 10 years

I don't know Russell Shannon I don't

know so but but you hear Sean

Payton Shawn Payton hadn't been with

Russell but for four days so I'm asking

you said Shawn pyton wants his guy does

Jim Harbaugh wants his guy does he want

someone other than Justin Herbert now I

need you to huh I get what you're saying

I I understand the correlation you're

making so that's all I'm saying look

I I hope Russ is a able to become Russ

of four or five years ago and that is

the question that we're asking Stephen A

to answer your point yes he's better

than Mason Rudolph he's better than

Kenny pick he's better than Mitchell

trabis but that's not good enough just

by being better does that ensure you the

division does that ensure you a deep run

in the playoff by just being better than

marinal quarterbacks absolutely not

number one number one they were 10 and

seven last year like do just said but

number two and more importantly Shannon

there's nobody out there that you could

have gotten that's going to guarantee

you the division against Mark Lamar

Jackson or Joe burrow so whatever they

got wasn't going to guarantee them that

so I'm not holding them to that standard

I'm simply saying they upgraded

significantly and here's the turnoff

deal let me turn my attention to you

because let me tell y'all something

right now you Adam shef and everybody

else love you guys y'all gonna have

y'all gonna get big time attitude from

me if everybody keeps going out there

talking about well you know he's got to

fight for the job and he's is going to

compete with Kenny picket and I don't

want to hear that I want to hear that if

this man I don't want to hear that at

all as far as I'm concerned if it is a

competition Russell Wilson need to go he

don't even need to bother coming to the

Steel City cuz I know this much a

nine-time pro bowler a Super Bowl

champion if if you got to come in based

on the Kenny picket that we saw this

past season and then it's two years 13

touchdowns 133 interceptions that dude

if if you're competing with that dude

and it's it's nip and Tuck and wait a

minute that's not what I'm counting on

I'm looking at Russell Wilson as a

starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh

Steelers that's how I'm looking at it

yeah I totally agree Shar Stephen A I

totally agree like I I don't think this

is a competition Russell Wilson will be

the starting quarterback and I'll go

back and say last year Russell Wilson

was a top 10 top 12 quarterback and he's

going in a better situation now than in

Pittsburgh he's got George Pickins he's

got Fri mouth he's got got Deontay we'll

see if he's on the team that offensive

line was getting better he my point is

this Shannon he does not need to be a

better version of what he was last year

if you just copy and paste now sacks you

hope they go down a little bit Arthur

Smith wants to run the football play

action pass but my point is this

yesterday morning the Steelers didn't

realistically have a shot within the

division we would fingers crossed and

speak positively because of Mike Tomlin

and I agree with you Stephen A I'm they

don't I'm not sitting here pounding the

table going absolutely versus Baltimore

and Cincinnati or Cleveland but they got

a shot now like they got a chance to

compete within the healthiest division

in football and that's because they have

Russell

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Wilson