Former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is already enjoying playing with his new team in the Denver Broncos. While the 33-year-old has been publicly praising his new team, some of his comments also appear to be taking a shot at his former franchise and its front office.
Wilson talked to reporters while hosting his own football camp, the Russell Wilson Passing Academy, on Friday. According to Zac Stevens with DNVR, Wilson made it clear why he wanted to play with the Broncos when talking about the team.
“I said, ‘hey, listen, I want to make sure I go to a city that wants to win. I want to make sure I go to a team that wants to win. And I want to go to a city that knows how to win’,” Wilson said. “And all those three things were checked off the box here in Denver and so I think we’ve got a chance.”
Those comments rubbed Seahawks fans the wrong way in the replies, with the quote implying that Wilson didn’t think the team or the city of Seattle wanted to win with him at quarterback.
Seahawks Had Tons of Success with Russell Wilson
Despite Wilson’s comments about the Broncos wanting to win or knowing how to win, the Seahawks did plenty of winning during the Wilson era.
In 158 games as Seattle’s starter, Wilson led the Seahawks to an impressive 104-53-1 record. His 104 wins since 2012 are the second most of any quarterback in the NFL, behind only Tom Brady and ahead of the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger.
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While the Seahawks haven’t enjoyed as much postseason success during that time, Wilson has still gone 9-7 in the playoffs with back-to-back Super Bowl appearances. Wilson also helped lead the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl title in franchise history.
Wilson enjoyed plenty of personal success in Seattle as well. The 33-year-old is a nine-time Pro Bowler, including five straight appearances heading into 2022, while also being named a second-team All-Pro in 2019. His leadership and contributions both on and off the field also helped him win the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2020 and the Bart Starr Award in 2022.
Despite missing the playoffs in 2021 and dealing with a finger injury, Wilson enjoyed plenty of wins in Seattle.
Who Will Replace Russell Wilson in Seattle?
With Wilson now in Denver, the Seahawks have two leading candidates to take over as the team’s starting quarterback heading into the 2022 season.
Geno Smith is the early favorite to become the starter after playing well during Wilson’s absence due to injury. He has been with the team since 2019 as Wilson’s backup, and in four games in 2021 he completed 68.4 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and one interception.
Drew Lock will be looking to beat out Smith in the QB competition. The former second-round pick was acquired in the trade that sent Wilson to the Broncos, and he’s hoping that a fresh start with a new team can help him turn his NFL career around.
The Seahawks could also make a trade for a veteran quarterback like Baker Mayfield, but unless that happens, one of the two top QBs on the roster is likely to be Seattle’s next starter.
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Russell Wilson Takes Backhanded Shot at Seattle Seahawks