'Does He Really Feel That Way? Absolutely Not': Chad Johnson Calls Bluff on Russell Wilson Claiming to Be the Best Mentor for Jaxson Dart

Russell Wilson has always been known as the NFL’s clean-cut quarterback — the polished speaker, the consummate professional, and the guy who always says the right thing.

So naturally, when recently asked about mentoring rookie and fellow Giants teammate Jaxson Dart, Wilson gave a response that sounded exactly like what you’d expect from someone with his brand of leadership.

“I’ve always viewed it as I’m always trying to be the best version of you, and then you’re always giving back to everyone else,” Wilson said. “It’s not just about one teammate. It’s about all the teammates… from the quarterback room to the receivers to the running backs. It’s all inclusive, and that’s always the approach.”

While Wilson’s quotes screamed maturity and mentorship, not everyone bought into the act. Most notably, Chad Johnson.

On an episode of Nightcap, Johnson wasted no time calling out what he felt was a politically correct soundbite from the Seahawks legend. “You can’t ask Russ that, man. That’s the preacher. The preacher always gonna say the right thing,” he scoffed. “Russ is gonna always say the right thing. Russ gonna run for office, Russ gonna run for mayor — hell, Russ could run for goddamn president.”

But behind that PR response, Ocho sees the real story — because while the 36-year-old quarterback says he wants to mentor Dart, Johnson doesn’t believe he truly wants to help a rookie who is poised to replace him in the near future.

“Russ’s been afforded another opportunity to prove himself… which I think he will do. But in that situation, he has to say that. Does he really feel that way? Absolutely not… Dart is a first-round pick. I [Russ] know my lease is short… This motherf**ker’s here to take my goddamn job.”

For a change, Sharpe too doubled down on Ocho’s sentiment, noting that Wilson is now entering his 14th NFL season, which means that he is experienced enough to have no illusions about what it means when a first-rounder joins the room. “Man, you tryin’ to speed up my process to get up out the league,” the former tight end said, summing up Russ’ current mental state.

Ocho echoed that logic, adding that mentorship is just a polite way to frame what’s essentially corporate cannibalism. “Mentor? Man, you better get it on your own,” he remarked. “Think about somebody coming to your job that’s brand new and your boss telling you to train them to take your job… They make it sound like it’s a good thing when it’s really not.”

So while Wilson may continue to deliver carefully worded statements about team building and mentorship, there’s a growing belief — especially from former pros — that such sentiments are more about optics than reality.

Because in a league where jobs are few and contracts aren’t guaranteed, even the most seasoned veterans can’t afford to groom their replacements with open arms. Especially when you’re Russell Wilson, for whom the 2025 season might be the last chance to prove he still belongs as a starting QB in the years ahead.