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The Seattle Seahawks are heading into a critical offseason and what will happen next depends on who has your ear. Head coach Pete Carroll and star quarterback Russell Wilson have both maintained that all is well in the Pacific Northwest.
Yet, multiple media reports indicate that Wilson’s future with the Seahawks is far from solidified. This speculation is unlikely to go anywhere until Carroll and Wilson both show up to training camp next summer wearing a Seahawks logo. The sheer number of reports that have ramped up in recent weeks should make fans wonder if those close to Wilson or the Seahawks are leaking information to fuel these rumors.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler described Wilson and Carroll as having a “partnership that slowly deteriorated.” It is entirely possible that Wilson and Carroll do have as strong of a personal relationship as they both claim, while at the same time showing real philosophical differences on how the team should move forward for 2022. Fowler cited Carroll’s future in Seattle as one of the NFL “wild card[s]” of the offseason.
“The market almost always brings one unexpected opening, and some around the league are pegging Seattle as a potential wild card,” Fowler detailed on December 8. “Pete Carroll has 116 wins since 2010, so it’s hard to imagine him not having a major influence on the direction of the Seahawks.
“But at age 70, is Carroll willing to go through a mini-rebuild? Even though Seattle’s roster isn’t as bad as its 4-8 record indicates, changes at some level appear necessary. The philosophical differences with quarterback Russell Wilson — mainly, the direction of the offense and aggressiveness in personnel — are palpable and must be addressed in the offseason.
“One league source compared the QB-coach relationship to Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy in Green Bay, a partnership that slowly deteriorated. Because Wilson is generally considered easier to work with than Rodgers, perhaps this one is more salvageable. Acting team owner Jody Allen probably wants answers to what went wrong this season.”
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Wilson Called a Recent Report of a New Trade Wish List a “Non-Story’
Wilson issued a strong statement responding to insider Jordan Schultz’s report that the quarterback has a new list of three teams that he would consider waiving his no-trade clause to okay a potential deal. The Seahawks star emphasized that his goal is continue his career in Seattle.
“Yeah, that’s my hope [to fulfill my contract with the Seahawks],” Wilson explained during his December 9 press conference. “My hope is to not just fulfill it. Hopefully, I get to play here for 20 years of my career. Will it happen? I don’t know, but that’s my prayer, that’s my hope. All that stuff, that stuff’s in the future. That stuff’s down the road.
“I think my mission and my focus that I can only do right now is focus on right now, today, third down, red zone, light it up, have a great day. Bring as much energy, as much focus as I can to this football team. As I mentioned, I love this place. I love this city, this team and what we can do. So, I think my focus is on that and that’s really what matters.”
Carroll on His Relationship With Wilson: ‘The Best It’s Ever Been’
Throughout the season, Carroll and Wilson’s public comments appear to conflict with Fowler’s report. During a November press conference, Carroll described his relationship with Wilson as the “best it’s ever been.”
“The best it’s ever been, by far,” Carroll said of his relationship with Wilson during a November 24 press conference. “We’ve just been closer because of all that happened in the offseason and went through and the time we spent together. I think it’s as connected as it’s ever been. I mean, it’s a natural thing when you spend that much time and you work at stuff together, you know, that you grow together and I’m grateful for that. I’m grateful for the relationship and helping him.
“I mean, we just went through one of the most difficult things [finger injury] he’s ever faced in his career, and to make it through that one step at a time every day, and stay in touch with it. And then to see him handle it, and come out of it and all of that. And now he’s ready to go, and a little bit frustrated we didn’t jump back in at a high level, but we’re cranked to turn and we’re looking forward to it.”
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