Russell Wilson hasn’t talked his way into a new contract yet, but he seems to be on the verge of turning himself into a more talented version of Tim Tebow.
The Seahawks quarterback has drawn plenty of attention to himself this offseason during his contract negotiations, from his early subtweeting, to his deep sigh and noting he’s moved before, to his continued thinly veiled and passive-aggressive threats to play baseball while throwing out a $25 million reference point for negotiations.
But while admitting he’s not having sex with his girlfriend drew yet another round of attention, it was his suggestion that God talked to him during the Super Bowl that has brought out a new round of critics.
Via Kyle Thele of the Chicago Sun Times, Bears tight end Martellus Bennett posted a series of messages poking fun at Wilson for claiming to have someone other than Darrell Bevell in his helmet radio.
“I wonder how loud God had to yell for Russel to hear him/her at that moment in the super bowl,” Bennett wrote. “YOOOO RUSSEL. It’s me God. Can you hear me? Aye Jesus is this thing on. Come help your pops out. Lol
“Jesus. Seriously Jesus. Get over here and turn this thing on for me.”
The idea that the Almighty needs his kid to help explain how to use a phone is funny, and Bennett’s tone wasn’t malicious at all.
But Wilson’s constant references to his religion are going to make him a role model to a certain segment of the population, and a target to others.
Tebow was once a nice guy with middling quarterback skills but an uncanny knack for winning games (even in the playoffs), but he was out of the league for two years before trying to latch on now with the Eagles as a third-stringer.
Wilson’s clearly achieved more on the field, and is a more proficient passer than Tebow in every way. But he’s also made himself a bit of a spectacle, which plenty of people cited as a reason Tebow struggled to find work, using the age-old “distraction” excuse. And the Seahawks have made it clear they’d like to have Wilson remain, even if they haven’t met his contract demands yet.
So the fact Bennett’s brother Michael is a teammate of Wilson’s isn’t a big deal, as they don’t seem to run in the same circles anyway. But the fact any Pro Bowl player is openly mocking the Seahawks quarterback is at least an indication that not everyone in the league is charmed by Wilson’s public persona.