Getty Former Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson and current head coach Pete Carroll.
The Seattle Seahawks will begin the post-Russell Wilson era against, well, Russell Wilson as the star quarterback starts his tenure with the Denver Broncos with a trip back to the Pacific Northwest. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll would not divulge the team’s game plan against Wilson but admitted that Seattle has “as much information as we’ve ever had” going against the team’s former franchise quarterback. Carroll revealed that the Seahawks are planning to try to do “a lot of things” against Wilson.
“We have a lot of things that we’re going to do, we have a ton of information,” Carroll explained during a September 8 press conference. “We have as much information as we’ve ever had going into a game and hopefully that information and the process of getting to here we can capitalize on. So, that’s all I can really tell you about the game plan.”
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Carroll on the 12s Reaction to Wilson: ‘You’re Either Competing or You’re Not’
Pete Carroll had some fun when asked how Russell Wilson should be received by fans Monday night at Lumen Field.
Carroll stopped short of encouraging Seahawks fans to boo Wilson but appeared to hint that he would be okay if the former Seattle quarterback did not receive a warm welcome. When asked about the 12s potential reaction to Wilson, Carroll noted “you’re either competing or you’re not.”
“You’re either competing or you’re not, I’m leaving it up to 12s,” Carroll responded. “It’s game time and we’re going for it. And so, however they take it, I’ll follow their lead on that. I’m not going to be involved with that kind of opportunity to react. So, I don’t have to make that decision. I’m gonna see what happens, but I’m leaving it up to the 12s. I think they’ll know exactly what to do.”
As for Carroll’s own reaction to seeing Wilson prior to the game, it does not sound like the Seahawks coach will continue his previous routine with his former quarterback. Carroll emphasized that the pregame warmup is also part of the competition process.
“It’s [a] game. Think about it, I’ve never stood for anything other than competing,” Carroll detailed. “And so, whatever it takes to get us in the right position to get done what we want to get done is going to happen, hopefully. Let it rip.”
Wilson on Reception From Seahawks Fans: ‘People Are Gonna Love You, They’re Gonna Hate You Sometimes’
Russell Wilson, on a Zoom call, was asked what he thinks his ovation will be Monday night. Said he knows fans will be rowdy. Said he “gave my heart and soul every day” and “the city has meant the world to me.” Added: “I always dreamed of being there my entire career.”
When asked about his likely reception in Seattle, Wilson made the case for all the things he accomplished as the Seahawks quarterback as well as his work in the community. The former Seahawks quarterback spoke fondly about his time in Seattle noting it will “always forever be home.”
“Seattle will always mean the world to me,” Wilson told reporters on September 8. “It will always forever be home for me. It’ll always be a special place in my heart, obviously. …People are gonna love you, they’re gonna hate you sometimes, whatever it may be. But I know that for me, I’ll forever have love in my heart for Seattle.”