Seahawks Ex Russell Wilson Wanted Pete Carroll Fired? Broncos QB Responds to Rumors

There’s another major development in the suddenly-disappointing Russell Wilson saga, and the Seattle Seahawks find themselves right in the middle of it.

The offseason gossip is juicy as ever for the Seattle Seahawks.

An unintentional rivalry seems to be brewing between the Seahawks and quarterback Russell Wilson as we approach the one-year mark of the blockbuster trade that ended his time in Seattle after he was shipped off to the Denver Broncos.

And after Wilson’s brutal first season in Denver, the offseason has somehow been even worse due to the negative publicity surrounding him, which has been low-lighted by accusations of withholding earnings from charity work and the lack of respect he seems to have gained in the Broncos locker room.

Now, there’s more. Per reports Friday from The Athletic, Wilson reportedly wanted Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider fired prior to be traded, citing them as being the problem. But as we now know, the Seahawks chose Carroll and Schneider over an aging Wilson.

Still, the timeliness of the report is bizarre, especially when looking at its details.

“Wilson asked Seahawks ownership to fire both of them, according to league sources who spoke to The Athletic on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details,” per the report.

It didn’t take much time for Wilson to respond via Twitter on Friday, admitting the love he has for the Seahawks organization.

“I love Pete and he was a father figure to me and John believed in me and drafted me as well,” Wilson wrote. “I never wanted them fired. All any of us wanted was to win. l’ll always have respect for them and love for Seattle.”

I love Pete and he was a father figure to me and John believed in me and drafted me as well. I never wanted them fired. All any of us wanted was to win.

l’ll always have respect for them and love for Seattle.

— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) February 24, 2023

A lawyer representing Wilson said, per the report, that the rumors of a requested firing are “entirely fabricated.”

The Athletic said that the Seahawks declined to comment when asked about the incident. However, more than 15 Broncos players and coaches were interviewed under anonymity.

An interesting nugget to come out of those interviews was an unnamed coach admitting that players began to defy Wilson when he would try to change the verbiage for the offensive line in the middle of the game, causing some understandable problems with simple pre-snap communication and getting the snap off in time. It now makes sense that, as The Athletic points out, the Broncos had the second-most false starts in the league this past season.

“When Russell would be like, ‘Hey, we are going to do this,’ they would be like, ‘Hell no,'” the coach said.

There’s a lot to unpack with what is just the latest piece of news that’s painting Wilson in a poor light. But if the rumors are indeed true, the love should hardly be mutual between Wilson and the place he called home for 10 years. 

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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