Jameis Winston’s speeches tend to go viral, and the reaction is usually affectionate. The veteran quarterback has also put up some disappointing numbers as a player, but he still doesn’t see a lot of haters. But when it comes to Russell Wilson, fans would have called him out for pretty much anything he said.
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The former Seattle Seahawks QB, in an episode of CBS Sports’ Set, Hut! podcast, fired a harmless shot at Winston, talking about his viral pregame interaction ahead of the Tennessee Titans game.
“One thing that I do is forgetting those that is behind and reaching forward to what’s ahead,” Winston said, before looking around the stadium as if he was feeling a wave of inspiration run through him.
“I’m so grateful that we get to focus on winning one play at a time. The circumstances, conditions, and facts, they don’t matter. It’s us, doing, being doers, not speakers,” he added.
Wilson joked that by now, he would have been “killed” on the memes, while also suggesting that Winston needs to be a reverend or a pastor, perhaps. But the irony of the reactions was not lost on Wilson.
“If I had said 6 times 2 equals 12, I would have been crushed.”
The comment was a dig at this quote from Winston, following the victory against the Tennessee Titans in Week 3.
“You know 12 points. Six x two is for you,” he said, dedicating the win to Jaxson Dart, who wears No. 6. “That’s 12, right?”
Winston has long been seen as the comic relief guy for the multiple teams he has played for. Known for his quirky and weird comments and infectious persona on the screen, the quarterback continues to be a big hit. He even landed a gig with FOX Sports for their FIFA World Cup programming and did a pretty good job, interacting with fans.
Perhaps the most hilarious thing he’s ever said on the field was when he was with the Cleveland Browns and was playing the Pittsburgh Steelers. At the end of his cadence, Winston, unable to hide his frustration and perhaps to lighten the mood, said, “Somebody jump offsides, damn!”
Then there was his clearly visible joy in getting to play in the snow during a Cleveland game, and him dramatically ‘eating’ a W sign he made with his hand during a pregame speech, when he was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Despite it all, Winston has been a massive fan favorite.
Russell Wilson, however, hasn’t had that luxury. He is known for his peculiar press conferences and classic catchphrases like “Go Hawks” and “Broncos country, let’s ride.” During his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, his catchphrase was reportedly “Win the seventh [Super Bowl],” per NBC’s Melissa Stark.
Wilson has often been labeled as a corny player, despite having won heaps of games for the Seahawks and winning a Super Bowl with the team. Winston, on the other hand, has had great days and worse days; he is the only quarterback in history to have recorded 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in a single season.
There were also doubts about Wilson’s new role as a broadcaster, and what fans might think of him when he’s behind the mic. However, the former quarterback doesn’t pay attention to any of it.
“There’s a lot more love than hate,” Wilson told Complex when asked about the narrative around himself. “When you are authentically yourself, you have nothing to prove to anyone else. I think for me it’s about staying focused on the mission to impact people—for young kids to be able to be like, ‘I have a dream to be like him one day and to do something successful.’ That’s always been my focus. Anybody else that’s trying to deter from that focus is not in my wheelhouse of thought.”
Jameis Winston is now the man of the hour for the Giants, with Jaxson Dart away.
Dart is out with a knee injury, and Winston will start in his place, as he did in Week 3 and will do in Week 4. The Giants have traded for J.J. McCarthy, too, but the young QB will be relegated to backup duties.
This time, Winston has a serious job to do. He has so far thrown for 229 yards on 25 completed passes, zero touchdowns, one interception, and has been sacked five times. His stat line is definitely going to raise some eyebrows as the season progresses, but he probably won’t be bashed as badly as Russell Wilson was in his career.