Russell Wilson was deemed a shadow of his former self when he joined the Steelers this season after a disastrous tenure for the Broncos. Failing to show his talents at the Mile High End resulted in the Broncos releasing the QB from their roster while taking on an NFL record $85 million in dead money over the next two seasons.

But moving to Seattle, things haven’t been great either. As Wilson continues getting targeted by Broncos legend Mark Schlereth, who expressed his distaste after a fan pointed out the nine-time Pro Bowler stats in recent years. Replying to the post on his official X account, Schlereth stated, “When you spit stats at me, I know you have no idea what you’re looking at.”

Well, this was not the first time Schlereth has bashed the Steelers QB for his stats over the seasons. Back in June, the three-time Super Bowl champion pointed out that Wilson’s stats in the Broncos were “fool’s gold.” Adding to his thoughts, Schlereth stated, “The Rusties will sit there and say, oh, he completed 80% of his pass. I think he was eight of 10 for 47 yards, and you know, and so the empty hollow statistics that he complies that makes people that don’t know Jack about football think that he can play is incredible.”

Looking back, Russ had a dismal 2023 NFL season where he only managed to rack up 3,070 yards, 26 TDs and eight interceptions for the 15 games he started. Those performances nowhere justified the $242.6 million contract he signed a year back and the overall expectations of him. This resulted in the veteran QB eventually getting benched for the last two games of the season.

Speaking about the decision to bench Russell Wilson, Broncos HC Sean Payton said, “We’re desperately trying to win.” However, it wasn’t enough, as the Broncos finished the season with a record of 8-9 while missing out on the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season. Even now, Wilson’s time at the Steelers isn’t off to a great start. As the veteran QB completed 8-of-10 passes for 47 yards while the Steelers succumbed to a defeat against the Bills at their home.

However, Wilson isn’t the only one who has been recently targeted for stat-padding. As WNBA rookie sensation, Angel Reese had to face a similar situation after her match against the New York Liberty.

Angel Reese facing similar treatment to Russell Wilson

Reese was on her way to record 16th consecutive double-double as her team, Chicago Sky, came up against the Liberty. However, a sturdy defensive performance from the NY Liberty led to Reese missing out on her chance to extend that record. Although she tried her best to secure that double-double, her efforts weren’t enough.

But after the game was decided, Reese continued her valiant efforts to get that 10th point. Eventually, her gameplay caught the attention of many fans and analysts out there who started criticizing the forward. One of the commenters stated, “Her begging for the pass while they’re down 10 and the clock is running out is hilarious.” 

Soon, another comment pointed out her play as “blatant stat-padding.” Well, Reese wasn’t the one to take those accusations bowing down as she took to X for defending herself. “If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. We are good!” said the WNBA All-star. Although her struggles at the professional level continue as Reese’s shooting percentage dropped from 47 to 25 percent compared to her final season at LSU.

With an average of 39.3 percent, Reese holds the determination to refine her game while responding to her backlash confidently. But can Russell Wilson do the same, as he was also accused of stat-padding after his horrific time at the Broncos?