The partnership between Russell Wilson and John Schneider helped produce the greatest stretch in Seattle Seahawks history.
Its ending was considerably less harmonious.
A new retrospective from The Athletic examining Schneider’s Seahawks tenure offers additional detail about the deterioration of his relationship with Wilson, including an admission from Wilson’s former agent and Schneider’s reaction to Wilson reportedly seeking major changes atop the organization.
The passage is particularly striking given what happened afterward.
Seattle traded Wilson to the Denver Broncos in March 2022, and the enormous return from that deal became part of the foundation Schneider used to construct another championship-caliber Seahawks roster.
Russell Wilson’s Relationship With Seahawks Deteriorated
Schneider was one of Wilson’s biggest believers long before the quarterback became a Super Bowl champion.
According to The Athletic, Schneider “fawned over” Wilson during the scouting process ahead of the 2012 NFL draft. Seattle ultimately selected Wilson in the third round, No. 75 overall.
It became one of the defining picks of Schneider’s career.
Wilson helped Seattle win Super Bowl XLVIII in his second NFL season and return to the game the following year. But The Athletic described a much different relationship developing behind the scenes later in Wilson’s tenure.
The outlet reported that contract negotiations increasingly played out publicly and that Wilson’s relationship with teammates “soured.” His former agent, Mark Rodgers, also acknowledged his own role in the friction with Schneider.
“I didn’t make things easy for John,” Rodgers told The Athletic. “I’ll be the first to admit that.”
The most explosive portion concerns the power struggle that preceded Wilson’s departure.
The Athletic previously reported in 2023 that Wilson appealed to then-Seahawks chair Jody Allen about moving on from Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll. The new Schneider profile says the GM was “taken aback” by that development.
Wilson has disputed that characterization.
Russell Wilson Denied Wanting Pete Carroll, John Schneider Fired
After The Athletic’s original report surfaced in February 2023, Wilson publicly denied that he wanted Carroll and Schneider fired.
“I never wanted them fired,” Wilson wrote at the time, adding that Schneider “believed in me and drafted me.”
NFL.com and ESPN both reported Wilson’s denial after The Athletic’s story alleged that he had pushed ownership to replace Carroll and Schneider.
Whatever terminology is used for the breakdown, Wilson’s Seattle tenure had clearly reached its endpoint by the spring of 2022.
The Seahawks announced the blockbuster trade with Denver that March.
“When it became evident that Russell was interested in playing elsewhere, we used that opportunity to explore the market,” Schneider said at the time.
Seattle received two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-rounder, quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Shelby Harris and tight end Noah Fant in exchange for Wilson and a fourth-round selection.
That brings the Wilson-Schneider story to its unlikely final chapter.
Russell Wilson Trade Became a Defining John Schneider Move
Schneider did more than survive the departure of his franchise quarterback.
The Wilson trade became one of the most consequential moves of his Seahawks tenure.
Seattle used draft capital tied to the deal to land players including offensive tackle Charles Cross, edge rusher Boye Mafe, cornerback Devon Witherspoon and edge rusher Derick Hall. The Seahawks’ own retrospective has described the deal as a “franchise-altering move” that helped establish the foundation of the roster Schneider subsequently built.
Witherspoon came from the No. 5 overall pick Denver sent Seattle after its disastrous 2022 season and developed into one of the Seahawks’ foundational defensive players. Schneider’s Seahawks biography notes that Witherspoon earned Pro Bowl selections in each of his first three seasons.
It makes the history between Wilson and Schneider unusually complicated.
Schneider helped identify and draft the quarterback who changed the franchise. Wilson helped deliver Seattle its first Super Bowl championship.
A decade later, their partnership fell apart.
And the trade that ended it ultimately became another major chapter in Schneider’s Seahawks legacy.
New Details Emerge About Russell Wilson’s Messy Seahawks Exit