In 2012, the Seattle Seahawks were believed by many to be the next dynasty in the NFL. Led by a dominant defense and rising do-it-all quarterback in Russell Wilson, a third-round steal.
That all came to a screeching halt in 2014-15, one year after walloping the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl, when the Hawks stood on the doorstep of becoming the first team since the 2003-04 New England Patriots to win back-to-back Lombardi Trophies.
In the blink of an eye that all changed. With back-to-back Super Bowls and immortality hanging in the balance, head coach Pete Carroll attempted a pass at the goal line. Wilson’s pass was intercepted, and the Patriots won their fourth Lombardi Trophy and first since the 2004 season.
That pass forever changed the trajectory of the Seahawks franchise. And soon afterward relationships began to deteriorate.
Former All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman, who’s been vocal about his dislike toward how things transpired in Seattle and with the alleged coddling of Wilson, has called in some reinforcements to back up his claims.
During a recent appearance on “The Richard Sherman Podcast” former Pro Bowl linebacker KJ Wright gave his take on how things were handled in Seattle.
Sherman And Wright Take How Things In Seattle Were Done To Task
The normally reserved Wright started things off by talking about accountability or lack thereof as pertains to Wilson.
“He was not held to the same accountability as the rest of us. You’re bashing the defense.”
“I need you to at least mention his name in the team meeting room.”
"He was not held to the same accountability as the rest of us"
—@KJ_WRIGHT34 and @RSherman_25 on how Russell Wilson received special treatment under Pete Carroll pic.twitter.com/9M2w9gYXww
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) September 21, 2022
Not to be outdone, the loquacious Sherman chimed in with his opinion.
“There wasn’t enough years difference for the accountability to be like that. Well, he was young. He was a year younger than us. You ain’t that young. When you got 52 guys being held to a certain standard and you got one not being held to that standard, it’s going to be some friction.”
Things became so tenuous in Seattle that Carroll had to choose between his franchise quarterback or his otherworldly defense. The excitable Carroll chose his quarterback, which for all intents and purposes signaled the end of any dynasty talk.
“After a while, I had to get to the point where he Carroll had to choose Russ or the defense,“ Wright said. “After the Super Bowl loss, he made it pretty clear who he was choosing.”
Wilson’s Big Extension Separates Key Pieces
When it became time to pay Wilson following the 2015 season, that also meant parting ways with other key cogs on the roster. Mainly on the defensive side of the football, with guys like the aforementioned Sherman, Cliff Avril, and Michael Bennett all being made expendable because of Wilson’s contract.
That in turn put more pressure on Wilson to carry the load, and while he did as good as he could, it also wore him down. That caused a separation this offseason that was in the making since the end of the 2021 season.
Sherman says that decision caused it all to fall apart.
“And that’s what happens when you made that decision. They put the pressure on him … and now it’s on the quarterback to make this thing work. And when it didn’t work, it was pressure on all sides. And then you saw the breakup,” said Wright.
.@RSherman_25 has some thoughts on the Broncos' timeout debacle pic.twitter.com/VSHMmruuz3
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) September 13, 2022
Sherman is one of Wilson’s staunchest critics, and didn’t hold back on the Broncos opening night timeout debacle either.
Read More TSL Stories:
