Russell Wilson has taken to Twitter to deny a report from The Athletic which claims he was traded after asking the Seattle Seahawks to fire head coach Peter Carroll and general manager John Schneider in 2022.
The Athletic notes Wilson and Carroll had “clashed” over the former’s role as a quarterback and the general decline of the team after back-to-back Super Bowl appearances. The QB is said to have felt that Carroll and Schneider were preventing him from chasing more Super Bowls and winning individual awards and, per league sources, asked the Seahawks to fire them.
Sean Payton, who had just stepped down as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints, was Wilson’s intended replacement for Carroll. But the team decided to trade him instead.
The Athletic has since reported getting a letter from Wilson’s attorney in which the claims relating to the above are referred to as “entirely fabricated.” The Seahawks and Broncos have both declined comment.
Wilson, meanwhile, has issued a denial on Twitter.
“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,” he wrote.
“l’ll always have respect for them and love for Seattle.”
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The report did note that Wilson did not speak to Carroll on the field when the Broncos played the Seahawks last season, though he embraced players and staff from his former team.
The campaign unfolded unexpectedly as Denver went 5-12 after acquiring one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, as well as Nathaniel Hackett, who had helped Aaron Rodgers win several MVPs.
The Seahawks ended up in the playoffs, with Geno Smith emerging as a breakout star in his 10th year to win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year and earn his first Pro Bowl selection.
