Steve Wilks Reflects on the 2022 Season, What's Next, & If He Believes He Deserves the Job

Opening statement

"It's been a tremendous pleasure for me to work with those men in that locker room and to sort of help steer this organization in what I consider to be the right direction."

If he can confirm that he will interview for the job tomorrow

"I'm not going to express anything beyond today and really the exit meeting with these players, so I'm just going to keep that private."

If he feels like he's done enough to earn the job

"That's not my call. I can't say."

Message to the fans

"I think the message was very relevant from the day I stood in front of you guys and I said in order for us to be able to accomplish what we need to accomplish, we need to go back to our old mantra which is Keep Pounding. And I think that's what you saw those guys do. They kept pounding throughout the process. When Sam Mills gave us that phrase, those words, they still resonate. That's what we're all about. That's what those guys do. We won our last game on the road and our last game at home. That's a lot to build on."

Receiving the game ball after the win over New Orleans

"It meant that we were all in it together. And that we had a great level of respect for one another. Just as I presented to Eddy [Pineiro] as well, I think again, that level of commitment to try to be excellent. And I truly appreciate the love that I have from those guys. It's been great."

Collaboration with GM Scott Fitterer

"We had great dialogue talking about the roster and the things we need to do to try to upgrade it in the present."

If he had any regrets

"I would say no. Because as I look out here and expand my vision, and I see all of you guys, let's just call a spade a spade. None of you guys even expected us to even be in this situation. So, to be able to take a 1-4 team and to be able to get to the doorstep of possibly winning this division and then going to the playoffs, I have no regrets whatsoever. To create an identity. To breathe some life back into this football team and the respect within this organization that we started to receive throughout the league of the identity that we created. We set franchise records as far as rushing and total yards. We went on the road and won big football games that no one gave us a chance to win in Seattle. So no, I don't have any regrets."

If he feels like he did an "incredible job" which is what Tepper said would need to be done in order to get the job

"I think that's someone's opinion what they consider to be incredible. What I consider to be incredible in the things that I do around the house, my wife doesn't see it that way. It just depends on how you perceive what's incredible. I'll let him determine that factor."

Being defined as a leader of men

"I try to tell people I'm a leader of people. Because what people fail to realize is that a head coach, he doesn't only inspire the team, it's a whole organization. And you set the tone for how everybody in this building thinks. And I think within the last 13 weeks, you have seen the morale in this organization go up. A leader of men? I don't know. I just consider myself a leader in general."

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