It's atypical to see former players call out current players on anything other than play.
One big fraternity, players of the past and present wear the NFL banner on their sleeve.
But former Broncos star and NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe didn't hold back when addressing some recent comments from another former Bronco, turned Steeler via QB Russell Wilson:
Sharpe Rips Wilson
"I wish him the best in Pittsburgh, except when they play the Ravens, and if they play the Broncos," Sharpe said on a recent edition of Nightcap. "I want the Ravens to beat the brakes off them twice. And if they play the Broncos, I want the Broncos to win."
If you're wondering why Sharpe would take such a stance against Wilson, it's because of comments that the Steelers QB made in a recent interview when asked about the history of the position:
"I think about those guys before me, but when I came into the league, there were only a few of us [African American QBs]," Russell Wilson told Essence Magazine. "It was Cam Newton, Robert Griffin Ill, Colin Kaepernick, myself and a couple others. For me to be able to go to back-to-back Super Bowls, and win one of them, I think I opened up a lot of doors."
Well, it's safe to say Sharpe didn't appreciate those comments:
"So what role did Doug Williams play? The first African-American quarterback to actually get to and win the Super Bowl and win MVP," said Sharpe. "So what about Shack Harris? What about Joe Gilliam? So what did Marlin Briscoe did? Jack
Harry? Steve McNair? They opened no doors? Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick? It was you?...
"...I just don't know what he was hoping to accomplish. By saying what he said. He opened doors? Huh? No, it was the guys who came before you who had success who opened doors for you."
Look, I see both sides here. It's certainly shortsighted of Wilson to think he opened doors for African American QBs. What I think he actually meant, and what Sharpe may have missed, is that he opened doors for African American QBs of shorter stature.
Without Russell Wilson's success in Seattle, there likely is no Kyler Murray as a first-overall pick by the Cardinals.
So did he open doors? Absolutely. But could he have been more specific, probably.
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