In a wild offseason that saw an unusually high amount of marquee names switching teams, Russell Wilson’s arrival in the Mile High City probably stands out more than any other trade with the exception of Deshaun Watson’s move to Cleveland.
Wilson was the king in Seattle, but he grew increasingly frustrated with the construction of the team and other conflicts that the media and fans weren’t privy to.
Based on an ESPN report released on Wednesday, that marriage was in turmoil far longer than the public knew. There were some major incidences that played a role in the trust between player and team being ruined.
Wilson’s Team Peeved That Hawks Went To Pro Days Of Patrick Mahomes And Josh Allen
In 2017, not long after signing Wilson to a huge extension, Seahawks GM John Schneider still went to see Patrick Mahomes throw at his pro day. Schneider did the same thing in 2018 by going to see Buffalo Bills superstar signal-caller Josh Allen throw at his Wyoming pro day. Those two instances raised some eyebrows amongst Wilson’s camp. This week’s report describes how they took those actions as a sign of disrespect and were peeved.
“They were f—ing pissed,” a Seahawks front office source told ESPN.
In addition, there were reportedly times that Wilson felt the offense was intentionally dummied down to hinder his chances at winning MVP.
Head coach Pete Carroll was the “Let Russ Cook” killer.
In fact, following the 2020-21 season there were rumors of Wilson being dealt that offseason. He even gave the Seahawks a list of teams he was willing to remove his No-trade clause for. While that never came to fruition, the 2021 season was a sign that the relationship had run it’s course and it was time to move on.
Russell Wilson returns to Seattle for Week 1 of Monday Night Football! 🍿🤩@Broncos ❌ @Seahawks pic.twitter.com/N2iBhou5vs
— ESPN (@espn) May 12, 2022
Wilson’s Fate Was Sealed After 2020-21 Season
Although the Seahawks and Wilson smiled for the camera and acted as if everything was OK following the 2020-21 season, the relationship was already unsalvageable. And while Wilson never reportedly requested a trade, the Hawks put out feelers following a pretty telling interview that Wilson did following Super Bowl 54 in Tampa.
Wilson revealed his frustrations about the lack of pass protection and the amount of hits he takes. Since he was drafted in 2012, no player since the NFL merger had been sacked (almost 400 times) more than he had in their first nine years in the league.
SEATTLE, I Love You.
Forever Grateful.
#3.
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) March 9, 2022
The lack of personnel decisions and all the turnover at offensive coordinator bothered him as well. This wasn’t the same positive leader the Seahawks had come to know since 2012. He was fed up and he didn’t care who knew.
Wilson’s former teammate Doug Baldwin even sensed the marriage was a wreck and he stated that he knew the team and Russ were going to part ways sooner than later.
“From my vantage point, the divorce was inevitable and was many years in the making. The reasons are multiple, but ultimately, I think it comes down to a difference of pursuits.”
Things in Seattle were never the same once Wilson got his two big deals and Seattle still showed an interest in up-and-coming college quarterbacks. Those came at the expense of a dominant defense that masked a lot of deficiencies on the team and roster as a whole. Wilson was great and worked magic in the Pacific Northwest often, but even he got tired, and the relationship had run its course.
Read More TSL Stories:
