Broncos HC Sean Payton dismisses emotions around Russell Wilson’s return to Denver - "We’re not playing tennis or golf"
The NFL schedule has put Russell Wilson back in Denver in Week 2. The new Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback will travel to Colorado to play his old team — that is, if he's healthy enough to start, something that hasn't happened in Week 1.
Wilson's relationship with Sean Payton wasn't the best during the year they worked together, and his benching late in the season was the straw that broke the camel's back. With the impending return of his former quarterback, Payton downplayed the issue, reminding everyone that it's a team game:
[From 5:40] Reporter: Is there anything to spend any time with you guys on, just in a sense? I mean, he’s a captain, it’ll be emotional in the building or whatever if he’s back. Do you talk about that with all the guys this week, or no?
Payton: No, I mean, we're focused. Look, we’re not playing tennis or golf — we’re playing a team game, and we’re focused on the Steelers. They're a good football team.
With Wilson out in Week 1, Justin Fields took over and led the Steelers to an unlikely victory over the Atlanta Falcons to spoil Kirk Cousins' debut. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has already declared that they're prepping for the week with the view that Fields will be the starter.
How the Steelers found themselves with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields?
Wilson's best days in the NFL are behind him. It's a very sharp decline and, with his advanced age and reduced mobility compared to his first years in the league, it's highly unlikely that he will play at a good level again for the remainder of his career.
For Fields, his development stalled badly in Chicago and a change of scenery was more than needed — well, with Caleb Williams on the roster, it was going to come anyway. With the Steelers, he gets a fresh start, but the first-round label isn't going to save him anymore.
Wilson was deemed the starter in Week 1 before the injury, and Fields won the first game as soon as the veteran was declared out. It will be interesting to see how the dynamic will play out once Wilson is healthy again.