Russell Wilson shockingly accused of ruining the NFL for every player

Russell Wilson's odd career continues to evolve. He has gone from trying to get Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll fired to being kicked out of being a part of the Denver Broncos after only two years. In the last two seasons, Wilson has been with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants.

Many fans, especially Seahawks and Broncos fans, might not care for the quarterback. The way he left both franchises is bound to leave a sour taste in many mouths. But Wilson also appears to have upset many players in the NFL, too.

The issue stems from the contract he worked out with the Broncos after he left the Seahawks. In September 2022, the first year of Wilson's two seasons with Denver, the quarterback inked an extension for five years and a maximum of $245 million. $165 million of which was guaranteed, and that's the key.

Former Seahawks QB Russell Wilson accused of making contract negotiations harder for NFL players

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio and Pablo Torre of the podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out reported on Tuesday that the grievance the NFL Players' Association (NFLPA) filed against the NFL had some harsh accusations, but not just from the NFLPA to the NFL, but by some players about other players.

The grievance stems from guaranteed deals for players, or a lack thereof. A team might sign a player for $100 million, for instance, but if only $20 million of that is guaranteed, that is the real money the player could get. A player and his agent have to argue strongly for the amount of guaranteed money involved.

As part of the NFLPA document of the grievance that Torre received, NFLPA President JC Tretter sent several texts disparaging Wilson for the quarterback and his agent not trying harder to get more guaranteed money from the Broncos. One called Wilson a "wuss" during contract negotiations.

Worse, Tretter reportedly sent a text that said, "Instead of being the guy that made guaranteed contracts the norm, (Russell Wilson’s) the guy that ruined it for everyone."

One might wonder how the NFLPA document and what Tretter texted affect how Wilson's teammates view him. The problem isn't an off-field one, but if what Tretter texted most players believe, Wilson could be seen as the player who made guaranteed money tougher to come by.

In other words, other NFL players might see Russell Wilson as the reason that they aren't getting all the money they deserve, costing some tens of millions of dollars. That is no way to make friends in the locker room, of course, and is just another negative mark on Wilson's once-sterling reputation.