Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has responded to a report claiming Russell Wilson wanted him fired while the quarterback was still with the franchise.
Wilson, who was traded to the Denver Broncos in 2022, spent 10 years in Seattle, helping the team win a Super Bowl in 2013. His arrival in Denver was as huge as it was shocking but the QB failed to live up to the hype and had a terrible first season as the Broncos’ starting signal-caller.
Last week, The Athletic reported having been told by various sources within the Seahawks organization that Wilson asked for both Carroll and the team’s general manager, John Schneider, to be fired as he felt they were hindering his prospects of winning another Super Bowl, as well as other personal accolades.
The team ended up parting ways with Wilson instead.
Carroll was questioned by reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday and, in reference to the report, insisted he was still “hanging” with Wilson.
He said the following:
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My response to that is a similar response that’s always been with the guys that I’ve coached. I’m always going to hang with them, and I’m never going to leave them. I’m going to be there at the end, with all of the good stuff and all of the bad stuff. I’m going to still be there. That’s it. I’m hanging. It doesn’t matter who the guy is.
If you look at all of the guys that have come to our program, not just back to the college days, but just here at Seattle, regardless of what has happened or has taken place or things that have been said at all, if you hang with them, it all comes back around. I like to demonstrate that faith in the relationship and the depth of what we did together and hang through whatever the growth challenges bring along the way, so I’m good.
The Seahawks Moved On Quickly
The Seahawks had a much better season than the Broncos, making it to the playoffs while riding the throwing arm of newfound backfield gem Geno Smith.
Smith, who made his first Pro Bowl in what was his 10th season in the NFL, was the league’s Comeback Player of the Year and is desperately wanted back by Seattle as he is set for free agency.
The 32-year-old also led the league in completions and turned out to be the perfect replacement for Wilson as he threw for 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
Wilson threw for the same number of interceptions but only managed 16 TD passes and 3,524 passing yards.
