Getty Russell Wilson came up short against the Seattle Seahawks.
Much has been made about the tension between Russell Wilson and some of his former Seattle Seahawks teammates during his time in the Pacific Northwest. Richard Sherman and Doug Baldwin were among the ex-Seahawks who did not hide their joy after Seattle upset Denver in the season opener, spoiling Wilson’s revenge game.
“’Cant fool the city boy they know whats up!’-Drake,” Sherman tweeted after the Seahawks’ victory over the Broncos.
Sherman also tweeted out several memes indicating his excitement with Wilson losing in his return to Seattle. Baldwin posted the following comical meme after the Seahawks pulled off the upset.
Carroll on 12s Booing Wilson: ‘Our Fans Competed in Spectacular Fashion Tonight’
Prior to the game, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll all but encouraged the Seattle fans to boo Wilson in the Monday Night Football matchup. After Seattle’s win, Carroll admitted he was not surprised by the reception Wilson received from the fans.
“Really, I didn’t know, and I was wondering how they would respond figuring that they probably would respond in a way that [would] try to make it as hard as possible on the other guy because they want to win,” Carroll detailed during his September 12 press conference. “That’s what competing is and our fans competed in spectacular fashion tonight. This was amazing, an amazing place to be tonight right from the get go.”
Prior to kickoff, Sherman emphasized that a lot of pressure was on Wilson to not only perform well but to lead the Broncos to victory. Sherman noted that Wilson signing his new $242 million contract extension added even more pressure heading back to Seattle.
“That’s where there’s so much pressure, he’s supposed to win this one,” the former corner noted on “The Richard Sherman Podcast.” “It’s not even supposed to be close. …If he loses this game, it’s gonna be trouble. It’s gonna be trouble. People gonna be wondering if he signed that deal because he knew it was gonna be trouble.”
Sherman Took Exception to How Wilson Was Treated by Carroll: Report
During a lengthy May 2017 feature, ESPN’s Seth Wickersham detailed the tension that existed during the Legion of Boom era in Seattle. Sherman believed Wilson was not held accountable by Carroll like other players, per Wickersham.
“According to interviews with numerous current and former Seahawks players, coaches and staffers, few have taken it harder than Richard Sherman,” Wickersham wrote at the time. “He has told teammates and friends that he believes the Seahawks should have won multiple Super Bowls by now. And with just one trophy and the window closing fast, he has placed responsibility for that failing on the two faces of the franchise: Wilson and Carroll.
“Sherman, who like Wilson declined comment for this story, thinks Carroll hasn’t held Wilson or many young Seahawks to the defense’s championship standard. He’s been disillusioned not only by that single play more than two years earlier but also by his coach’s and quarterback’s response to it.”