Clayton: Latest Russell Wilson quotes put issues with Seahawks to bed
Jul 15, 2021, 2:04 PM
Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll are entering their 10th season together. (Getty)
(Getty)
The story of Russell Wilson’s complaints about the Seahawks is officially over. I just wonder if everyone will accept that.
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On Wednesday, Wilson went on the Dan Patrick Show (video here) and said that his relationship with Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is stronger than ever. He also stated how he wants to stay a Seahawk.
Remember that it was on the Dan Patrick Show earlier this offseason when Wilson publicly expressed his complaints. He said he was tired of getting hit so much. He complained about the blocking on the Seahawks’ offensive line. He said he wanted more of a voice in putting Seattle’s roster together in order to try to get back to the Super Bowl. He then did the same on the Colin Cowherd Show.
This story poisoned the Seahawks through the offseason. No one would let it go. I’ve been covering the league since 1972. To me, this was the most overblown story I’ve ever seen.
Sure, Wilson was frustrated. He was sitting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell at the Super Bowl and watched Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes get beat up after Tampa Bay went into a Cover Two defense like Wilson was in the Seahawks’ playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams a few weeks earlier.
After that, Wilson went silent. Carroll and the Seahawks also stayed silent through most of the offseason, which was wise. Thanks to Carroll, Wilson got on the same page. Wilson got a new offensive coordinator (Shane Waldron) and scheme he likes. He got more talent on offense. He got improvements on the offensive line. He got Chris Carson back and Tyler Lockett extended on multi-year deals.
Still, while Wilson was tweeting positive things about the Seahawks’ additions, national writers kept expressing how he was still not happy. Even as late as last week, someone said there were remaining problems. Wrong. The big thing is Wilson is close to Carroll, and being close to the head coach is so important for a quarterback.
“I think more than anything else, you know what I care about,” Wilson told Patrick on Wednesday. “I care about winning. That’s what I want to do. So I just put on my cleats every day. That’s always my focus. That’s always been my goal.”
Wilson wants to win. Carroll wants to win. End of story.
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