Getty Nick Bosa chases Russell Wilson during the 49ers' 2019 season finale win over the Seahawks that clinched the NFC West title.
Perhaps no NFL fanbase was more overjoyed to hear the Russell Wilson trade news than a former division rival of the longtime Seattle Seahawks quarterback: The San Francisco 49ers.
In what became the first huge trade of the 2022 offseason period, the Seahawks dealt away Wilson to the Denver Broncos in exchange for quarterback Drew Lock, veterans Shelby Harris and Noah Fant and future draft picks on Tuesday, March 8.
The news sent ripple effects along the Pacific coastline like the San Andreas Fault was in motion, plus also sent aftershocks across the NFL landscape as the Broncos, who have been searching for an upgrade at quarterback in the post Peyton Manning era, now gets a quarterback who once led Seattle to the rout of Manning’s Broncos for the Seahawks’ first and only Super Bowl title in the 2013-14 season.
But the Broncos aren’t just the only fan base in glee about Wilson heading to the Rocky Mountains.
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49er Fans Troll the Seahawks
From memes to gifs, members of the 49ers faithful launched their ridicule of the Seahawks on Twitter on Tuesday, March 8.
The Twitter account @49erFaithfulUK posted a dancing Deebo Samuel gif doing the “Griddy.”
Every 49ers fan after seeing the Russell Wilson news 😎👏
John Chapman from the 49ers Rush Podcast went the Wizard of Oz route:
Russell Wilson is gone!!!!
49ers get 2 more wins a year moving forward lol
Patrick Holloway of Niners Nation knows the fan base is happiest right now.
The only people more happy than Russell Wilson are every single #49ers fan.
One other fan sang online praises.
Russell Wilson out of the NFC West. 49ers fans rejoice!
Praise the Lord, hallelujah!!
Another fan, who’s a 49ers season ticket holder named Nick Newman, also rejoiced.
I am so happy that Russell Wilson is out of the NFC West. He dominated the #49ers for an entire decade.
It’s going to be so much easier appreciating his greatness in a Broncos jersey opposed to those nasty neon ones.
Exciting day.
One more 49er fan @Coach_Yac on Twitter posted a flashback of what he believed was an iconic moment involving Wilson’s playing days versus the 49ers: The 2019 season finale and final Seahawk offensive play.
In honor of Russell Wilson leaving Seattle, here’s a throwback to Dre Greenlaw’s legendary stop at the goal-line in 2019. #49ers
Finally, @OurSf49ers_ on Twitter waved goodbye to Wilson and the Seahawks.
Live look at Niner fans reacting to the Russell Wilson trade news 👋😂 #49ers
Media Reaction on Wilson Leaving NFC West
This kind of trade not only sparked online reactions from the faithful, but also media representatives who either cover the 49ers or cover the league.
Beginning first with Dieter Kurtenbach of the San Jose Mercury News, he wrote four words in the middle of his column released Tuesday afternoon: “The Seahawks are cooked.”
And he followed with “that’s a huge win for the 49ers, who were already having a pretty good offseason.”
NBC Sports Bay Area columnist Josh Schrock was another Bay Area media scribe who chimed in through his written work, writing in his lead sentence “the NFC West changed forever.” He also wrote:
After facing Wilson twice a year for the past decade, the 49ers no longer have to worry about the man who had become their own personal boogeyman over the last decade. In 21 career starts against the 49ers, Wilson went 17-4 while throwing for 4,169 yards, 36 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. Even last season, with the Seahawks sinking en route to a last-place finish, Wilson still beat the 49ers both times he faced them.
Wilson’s exit to Denver along with the 49ers’ expected plan to transition from Jimmy Garoppolo to Trey Lance signals the dawn of a new era in the NFC West.
David Lombardi of The Athletic believes the 49ers can breathe some relief now that they won’t have to deal with Wilson twice a year moving forward.
The 49ers play at Denver next season, but facing Russell Wilson once seems better than facing him twice in 2022
The one NFL personality who felt the anguish of Wilson leaving Seattle? ESPN personality and notable Seahawks fan Mina Kimes — who sent out a barrage of tweets after the blockbuster trade including this one:
tweeting through it 😤
Plus another which references a possible replacement for Wilson who took part in last week’s NFL Combine: Liberty’s Malik Willis.
Coping update: Draft Willis at #9 and just see what happens. I can’t do a Lock season. Let’s at least get weird.
But lastly, guess who also chimed in on the trolling of the 49ers’ division rival? All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams who said “you will not be missed” to the new AFC West quarterback.
#49ers LT Trent Williams’ reaction after seeing Russell Wilson being traded is priceless 😂
