If you were anywhere near the Steelers training facility during the offseason, chances are Mike Wallace was not nearby.
The Pro Bowl wide receiver was in a bit of a rift with the Steelers front office well into this preseason because of a continuing contract dispute. Since signing a one-year, $2.7 million offer, though, all of Wallace’s thoughts about a new contract have been set aside.
Wallace insists that he never intended to cause problems within the organization and that his focus now is only on this season with the Steelers, according to Trib Live Sports.
“I was never trying to be a rebel. … I would most definitely have loved to be here with my teammates,” Wallace said of his holdout. “Whatever happens after February happens after February.”
Wallace has returned to the field with a vengeance this season, catching 21 balls and four touchdowns in five games. His effort and production have been key for a Pittsburgh team that has fallen on hard offensive times.
The Steelers have scored considerably fewer points than any of their AFC North compadres — that’s right, even the Cleveland Browns have scored more than the Steelers — and it would be hard to imagine how little they would score without Wallace on the outside.
Wallace insists that his effort isn’t connected to a new contract. He says his only motivation is getting the Steelers back to the Super Bowl.
“You’re playing to get to the Super Bowl. If I look at it like I’m playing for a contract, I don’t think I’ll do well. It will be too much on me. I’ll be trying too hard,” Wallace said. “I’m looking at it as we’re just trying to win ball games, and I’m just trying to do what I can do to get my team to the playoffs and Super Bowl.”
While his short-term goals surround his team’s success, Wallace does maintain some lofty career aspirations as well.
“I’ve got a ways to go but, one day, I want to get me one of those gold jackets,” Wallace said. “I’ve got to keep scoring touchdowns, and I’ve got to keep making plays. If I can do that, I’ll get what I want to get. It’s not about money — it’s about being the best you can be.”
Wallace may still be looking out for his own long-term interest,
and the money will be there, even if it’s not from the Steelers. But with his team 2-3, Wallace knows
there are bigger things to worry about right now.
The contract can wait until February — hopefully, for Wallace at least, after the Steelers raise another Lombardi Trophy.
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