If you had any question about whether his teammates would welcome Wallace back into the fold, it was answered almost immediately.
No sooner had Wallace reported than he was doing a podcast with linebacker James Harrison. Then, there was Wallace on the sideline during practice, shaking hands with teammates and coaches.
All was forgiven - at least by everyone with the notable exception of Mike Tomlin.
Tomlin talked briefly with Wallace before he spoke to reporters after practice and wouldn't commit to Wallace being ready to play next week in Denver - at least not until he sees him practice.
Wallace, on the other hand, said he should be ready.
Tomlin was downplaying things purposely. He wants to put up a front to show his unhappiness with Wallace's holdout. But the first time Wallace gets into the end zone this season, you can bet Tomlin will be the first guy there giving him a high five.
@ With James Harrison and Jason Worilds coming off the PUP list Tuesday, they will both be back at practice when the Steelers return on Monday.
Harrison said today that he feels great. I wouldn't bet on him not playing - at least on a limited basis. Then again, Harrison doesn't do anything limited.
Worilds, meanwhile, has been running a lot and working with team trainers on his conditioning.
40 comments:
wallace shows up on tuesday so he doesn't have to play in the last preseason game. like i said before, i would not dress him week 1 and make it publicly known it's because he hasn't had enough time with the team to be ready.
what's the over/under on how many weeks until wallace develops a nagging hamstring injury that "slows" him down for the rest of the season.
marc,
Tom Shaw is a hell of a coach and has kept the players we send him happy, healthy, in shape, and on the field in the past. I'm not sure why we should expect this to be any different.
maybe my sarcasm wasn't obvious enough. wallace has proven he is selfish to a fault and his own financial detriment. i fully expect him to give less than 100% this season in hopes of avoiding a major injury and getting the mega-contract he thinks he's worth. the only way he will be able to justify the less than 100% effort is by saying he is hurt...a.k.a. a nagging hamstring that he will try to play thru.
that is just my personal opinion. i hope he proves me wrong.
Marc,
That doesn't make much sense. He's trying for a mega-contract so he dogs it and blames it on injury? That's not exactly the way to get "Fitz money."
He didn't come to camp because he didn't want to get hurt and have that tender be his last contract. He has to go all out on the field in the regular season if he has any hopes of big money. If he gets hurt doing that then at least it was worth it. Getting hurt in camp would have been tragic and a waste of time.
Also, the Steelers can't bench him week 1. He would file a grievance and win. They can say that he hasn't had enough time but that is not a reason to deactivate a guy and the adjudication board knows it.
First, the Steelers are not going to punish themselves as a team just to prove a point with Wallace. He will play week 1, he is just too talented to sit.
Second, I don't think he will have any problems with the physical elements of the game. The key will be to get to the point where him and Ben get on the same page quickly in the new offense.
Third, how quickly we forget how much better this makes our receiving corp. Cotchery and Sanders now are 3rd and 4th on the depth chart rather than 2nd and 3rd. THAT makes a big difference. Brown has been VERY good so far but adding Wallace into that mix makes us even more dangerous. Against cover 3, you will see a safety caught in between choices, do I go toward Wallace or Brown...who do I help out? In cover 2, Heath should be able to eat teams alive down the slot.
Fourth, I honestly believe that the team will try to get the contract worked out by game 1. They have the next 5 days or so to work out the extension.
marc,
I get it now, but there's no reason to think THAT either. He's played every game to this point as hard as he can. I don't see why he'd stop now, and I don't see how that earns him anything but LESS money he'd get for playing hard. I think your feelings are hurt and your judgment is kaput.
Also, he has most definitely not proven he's selfish to his own financial detriment. That remains to be seen. If he lands a larger contract with another team next year, then quite the opposite would be true, wouldn't it?
TarheelFlyer,
Don't they have all the way up to the first regular season game? Why only 5 days?
Fans are so quick to punish players who hold out.
If Wallace had hurt himself in camp he could have endangered his career. I don't blame him for holding out at all. It's a business and both sides have to do what is right for them.
It's not like he badmouthed the team or anything.
i hear what you guys are saying and respectively disagree.
1. i believe his decisions this offseason are a good indicator of his selfishness. i wouldn't knock him for missing OTA's or the beginning of camp. fine, you made your point. but to skip the whole thing and then intentionally bypass the last preseason game is just stupid and beyond arrogant.
2. he played a game with the steelers and lost. he now bears an incredible amount of risk to be able to exit the season with no injuries and all world statistics. that is the only way he gets "fitz" money. but, alas, how do you do that when you have skipped all team activities and training this offseason (training with shaw is not the same thing as with the team)? you don't, and i believe once he realizes he won't get the stats he will "all of a sudden" develop a nagging injury.
3. i do believe it was to his own financial detriment. he passed up something like 5 yrs/$50 mill/$20 mill guaranteed. in exchange, he is now playing for $2.7 mill this year. if he stays healthy, he may get more than what the steelers offered him, but not much more. but if he has ANY injury that affects his speed, he will get much less. therefore, he has put the $20 mill guaranteed at risk in exchange for the $2.7 mill now and maybe a few more mill. later. i realize my numbers may not be precise, but its the relationship that matters. flat out stupid.
Marc,
1. Every player in the league is selfish when it comes to his own contract. He wasn't under contract, he didn't want to get hurt in the garbage of offseason, he didn't badmouth the team; that's a pretty good hold out right there. Plus, yeah, he's missing the final preseason game, the one he probably wouldn't have played more than five snaps in anyway.
2. He hasn't lost yet. If the Steelers sign him to a bigger contract than the speculated one then he won. If he has a good year and the Steelers or someone else pay him more than the speculated contract, he won.
3. Your numbers don't have to be precise because the numbers were never released officially. The 50mil thing is either speculation or a leak, either way I wouldn't put much stock in that number. And as far as "he will get more but not much more" there is no way of knowing that. We don't know what the Steelers offered and there are a ton of variables which will determine how much someone else would offer him. Plus the Steelers still might sign him long term this season, who knows?
he most certainly lost. he held out for "fitz" money and didn't get it. now, the steelers hold the leverage and the only way wallace gets it back is to go injury free with an all-world season statistically.
Marc...
The point about 5 days was mostly about keeping focused. Once the preseason game is over, you might have a couple of more days after that to focus on money, but after that....it should be about football. Yes, they have to the opener, but in reality getting it done quickly is the ideal. Get in a room....get it done.
he didn't lose. he never said he wanted Fitzgerald money. his agent never said it. the Steelers never said it. a beat reporter covering the 49ers said it, unsubstantiated. does that mean it isn't true? nope. but to start declaring reality and what "will" happen based on hearsay is silly.
do you think Mike Wallace held out of camp and the preseason because he thought the Steelers would "crack"? he and his agent aren't that dumb. they knew Pittsburgh wouldn't negotiate until he reported. Wallace was skipping injury opportunities and really the only important thing to me in all that is he kept his mouth shut.
wins and losses are determined at the end of the game.
Um, Marc believes in the "Fitz money" line... In related news, I am a Nigerian prince and I need some bail money to get out of jail. Send me $1,000 and I will reward you with a treasure chest of riches and jewels!
There's zero evidence that he or his agent said anything like that. It's ridiculous, and there are 70 million numbers between the one you quoted that he was offered and the one Fitz got. Could it be he wanted one of those 70 million numbers? Or were those the only two options available? He could have been holding out for $55 million or $60 million. In my opinion, he will sign for as much or more than Vincent Jackson got (55), and that's not an unfair expectation from his end.
The ONLY way he comes out of this thing having detrimented his finances is if he signs (with anyone) for less than what the Steelers originally offered him earlier this summer (possibly $50 million). If he takes less than what they offered, then yes, he hurt himself. If he gets more, then he didn't, and may have helped himself. Whether that contract happens now or next year is irrelevant.
15alssom15tingedjif I were him after seeing so many people going down for potential season long injuries I wouldn't have shown up either. better to not have him for the preseason then to not have him in the regular season
The only reason Antonio Brown got his contract was because Mike Wallace's agent was double-teamed.
Without Mike Wallace, the offense last year would have struggled to score twenty points on a weekly basis.
Mike Wallace was an unknown, single-covered for the first half of last year, and then poor Mike got extra safety attention, and that was why he dropped off, end of story. It was simply impossible for it to be any different.
(Also, I can't remember the last time a team won the Super Bowl without an elite (mostly) one-trick "deep threat." Oh, wait.)
Fortunately, Antonio Brown was able to benefit by making a bunch of easy catches in garbage time.
All sarcasm aside, at least 17's back on the team. Our top four receivers are pretty impressive with him in the mix and sure, he does open things up.
I think all of my somewhat irrational annoyance at him would go away if he just made one 9-yard catch over the middle while taking a big shot on third-and-8.
Kind of like he does @ 2:40 in this video?
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos/09000d5d824ba47f/Bengals-vs-Steelers-highlights
like i said, just my opinion.
and to say if he gets the same contract next year as what was offered him this year is not a loss by him is ridiculous. he passed up guaranteed big bucks for $2.7 million and put the mega contract at risk by injury. you guys try to say it's good for him to bypass the preseason to avoid injury, but it seem to imply it makes sense to play this season under a $2.7 mill tender while he could have had $20 mill guaranteed. you contradict yourselves.
additionally, i say "fitz" money not because of what the 49ers reporter said, but rather because of what he apparantely turned down. if he did really turn it down, what other reason would there be?
Not third-and-8 but nice run after the catch and and gets knocked down as he scores! I had forgotten he was on the team after the go-ahead TD vs. Baltimore in week 9.
You know what I mean, though, I just wish he had a little Hines in his game is all. He's obviously very good.
we have no idea what he turned down. we don't know what the Steelers offered him. again, none of those things have been substantiated. there was a report with a figure that turned out to be exactly what Brown got. now did the Steelers get petulant and just take the exact same contract to Brown to stick it to Wallace? i doubt it. more likely the leak was mistakenly attributed to Wallace's offer.
you seem fixated on him playing this year for the tender. that hasn't happened yet. it very well might. i'm just saying, none of this is settled yet so it seems silly to get all bent out of shape about it.
I don't believe the Fitzgerald money thing for a second. That was a feed from the 49ers made to save face.
As for skipping the last preseason game, who cares? The starters are going to play one series.
Ask David DeCastro how he feels about preseason games.
If that had been Wallace, he would have been screwed right now.
And this is coming from a guy who wrote that he should have reported earlier.
It would have helped him in the long term - learning the offense, hitting the ground running. But if comes out, stays healthy and puts together some strong games - particularly in the playoffs - he'll get paid.
Worilds needed to get stronger from a year ago. He's been recovering from wrist surgery for what seems like forever now... How does he look? I'm sure he's been running to stay in shape, but has he been working out? Does he look strong?
Pretty amazing how much Worilds healed once he was how well Chris Carter was playing...
As for Wallace, of course he skipped training camp on purpose, but also like folks who choose to act as their own lawyers, he had a fool for a client. I'll be completely, 100% shocked if he signs a long term deal with the Steelers. And Wallace has a lot to prove as a receiver. He had a big first half, then couldn't figure out how to get open once he got bracket coverage and tailed off a lot the second half of the season. He has to show he can make the tough catch in traffic, too. Teams are going to want to see that before they throw the big $s at him. In BA's offense, Wallace was a "need to have" player. In Haley's offense, he's a "nice to have" player.
regarding playing the last preseason game...i do think it matters for a player who has skipped all of OTA's, training camp and the previous 3 preseason games.
and i think the decastro reference is perfect. he was out there getting ready for the season. would you rather he too skip all of the preseason to avoid injury? why not just have all your known starters skip every preseason game and all contact drills to avoid injury? wait, mendy wasn't hit when he tore his knee, so lets have them avoid all practices until the season starts as well.
fact is, football is riddled with injuries, but you still have to prepare for the season. there is no way around it. and that's what makes wallace's actions so stupid. he is one bad play away from kissing that mega contract goodbye in a sport where that one bad play actually happens quite often.
He should have just accepted whatever contract offer the steelers had for him to begin with.
The Steelers drafted him and Big Ben made him.
Just glad I still have him for Madden. 99 speed baby :)
I'm not a Wallace defender. He has game-breaking speed but he's certainly not a top 5 wideout. But really, Marc, if Wallace had done anything other than sign whatever piece of paper the Steelers put in front of him, you would not be happy. Just like last year you blamed the lock out on the stupidity and greed of players who were being LOCKED OUT by ownership.
If you don't think Mike Wallace deserves top end money, I agree with you. If you think he shouldn't try to get it, I disagree with you. That's up to him and it's none of my or your business.
actually, as i previously stated in this thread, i would have had no problem with him skipping OTA's and the beginning of camp to make his point with the team. but once it became obvious the steelers were not going to deal with him, that's when his stupidity and arrogance not only has placed him in a poor position but also the team.
and as you did correctly point out, it was the players greed and stupidity that RESULTED in the lock out. and in case you didn't notice, the owners came away with a far superior deal for the next 10 years. when are the players going to realize they don't run the show? i mean, really, what idiot thinks he is going to dictate the situation to the rooneys?
Do you still not understand that it wasn't about making a point? Nor was it about getting the Steelers to increase their offer. It was about minimizing risk to himself before his long-term deal. Think of that what you want, but you have your facts wrong. People are talking like he was so stupid to play chicken with the Steelers. He knew they wouldn't negotiate him while he was away. He's not so arrogant that he thought he'd break the rules for him. This wasn't a holdout. It was a vacation.
i am well aware that he didn't show up to avoid injury. and it proves how stupid he is.
let's see. the steelers don't negotiate if i'm not in camp. if i'm not in camp i can't get a long term deal. to get a mega long term deal next year i need to have a great season. to have a great season i need to be the primary WR target and be fully prepared for the season. therefore, i will holdout of all team activities and the entire offseason to avoid injury and then have my great season under a $2.7 mill/1 year deal. oh, and if i get hurt during the season my mega contract goes poof.
OR
i sign the "rumored" $50 mill/5 yr/$20mill guaranteed now. show up for all of the offseason and enter the regular season good to go. if i get hurt AT ANY TIME i still have the guaranteed money.
stupid, arrogant, selfish.
So if he signs a long term deal with the Steelers tomorrow was he still dumb, Marc?
Did Antonio Brown need OTA's before his Pro Bowl season last year? I guess not since the lockout prevented that.
You can put rumored in quotation marks all you want, the fact is you don't know what they offered him, what he turned down, or what he wants. Right?
Oh, and the lockout resulted from the owners ending a contract early (which they were allowed to do via the terms of the contract) so they could renegotiate out of the bad deal they agreed to a decade before. This may be an oversimplification but I think Peyton Manning is smarter than Jerry Jones or Al Davis or Mike Brown. Maybe I'm wrong and he's stupid, arrogant, selfish, and greedy like all the rest.
"So if he signs a long term deal with the Steelers tomorrow was he still dumb, Marc?" --- Yes, seeing as he could have reported earlier, signed the deal, and been prepared for the season.
"Did Antonio Brown need OTA's before his Pro Bowl season last year? I guess not since the lockout prevented that." --- Seeing as all players were without the offseason training I would say Brown was no further behind in preparation than anyone else. The same cannot be said for Wallace this year.
"You can put rumored in quotation marks all you want, the fact is you don't know what they offered him, what he turned down, or what he wants. Right?" --- Correct, I do not know for sure. It's a number that has been tossed around. Likewise, you cannot be sure it wasn't offered.
i refer to "nfl players" as a whole. certainly some are wiser than others. the same goes for the owners. however, the owners did not immediately lockout the players when they walked on the agreement. the lockout was a result of the inability of the two sides to reach a new agreement. the players (as a whole) thought they run the league and eventually had to sign off on a deal that favors the owners because...are you ready...the owners run the league.
"Stupid. Arrogant. Selfish."
No, it was a decision. Take the guaranteed 20-50 or wait a year for maybe 10 million more. He's never been hurt before and probably doesn't think he will be, but skipped preseason just to be safe. You've made it very clear what you would do in his situation. You're not him.
Plus, that's only how it happens if he doesn't sign a deal between now and a week from Sunday.
"Yes, seeing as he could have reported earlier, signed the deal, and been prepared for the season." ---After his final year, Michael Strahan said that if he had known he could just pay a $500,000 fine to skip camp and the preseason he would have done it every year. He's not going to be lost because he skipped the preseason. He can still sign the deal. It remains to be seen if he's prepared.
"Seeing as all players were without the offseason training I would say Brown was no further behind in preparation than anyone else. The same cannot be said for Wallace this year." ---Casey Hampton has spent most of camp and the preseason on the sidelines, do you think the team will hesitate to play him week 1? Was all that preparation why Brown and Sanders both had multiple drops in the tune-up preseason game last week?
"Correct, I do not know for sure. It's a number that has been tossed around. Likewise, you cannot be sure it wasn't offered." ---The difference is I don't have to prove a negative and I'm not citing it as evidence.
"i refer to "nfl players" as a whole. certainly some are wiser than others. the same goes for the owners." ---This is all fair and seemingly true.
"however, the owners did not immediately lockout the players when they walked on the agreement. the lockout was a result of the inability of the two sides to reach a new agreement." ---This is also fair and true as far as I know.
"the players (as a whole) thought they run the league and eventually had to sign off on a deal that favors the owners because...are you ready...the owners run the league" ---This is where you inject opinion. You have no evidence to say the players thought they ran the league. You don't know what any of them were thinking. Is every Labor negotiation the result of organized labor "thinking they run" everything? And I don't think you can say the deal favors the owners, the revenue sharing is more in their favor in regards to the beginning split but with the attendent elements the players really end up with slightly more than half. Unless you mean in comparison to the previous deal, in which case, yeah, since that deal was really dumb on the owner's side. I do like that the new deal does a lot more for retired players. That's in the player's favor, I'd say.
You don't like that Wallace didn't sign what the Steelers asked him to, everything else you've said is opinion propped up as reason.
http://www.steelersdepot.com/2012/08/kevin-colbert-handled-mike-wallace-situation-perfectly/
Nice write up from Dave Bryan
Well, it's not like the Steelers asked Mike Wallace to play for $7.25/hr. Reportedly, they offered a lucrative long term contract although we don't know how much of it was guaranteed $s. He chose not to accept it. That's fine, but he shouldn't expect anything more than to play out this season as his last in Pgh.
Go to sleep adamg
my goodness, we could go back and forth on this forever. i respect your guys' opinions and understand what you have to say. i just have a different opinion. hopefully, it all works out for the best for the steelers and wallace.
agreed
who would have thought our opening day inactives could be DeCastro, Harrison, Mendenhall, Slyvester, and Worilds.
Sounds like Harrison and/or Worlids may return, but I have a feeling one or the other will, prob Harrison.
But they are starting to stack injured guys who aren't going to be ready till October. Not good for the roster.
Have to think Charlie may be getting the ax.
Hey Dale, any idea why Elvis Dumervil has not been suspended? There seems to be no rhyme or reason to GODell's fines ans suspensions.
Thx for weighing in, Patrick.
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