BRADY HENDERSON

Quotes from Seahawks’ Russell Wilson on his insurance policy, contract situation and more

Jun 19, 2015, 11:20 AM | Updated: 11:26 am

“That’s just being smart,” Russell Wilson said of securing an insurance policy in...

"That's just being smart," Russell Wilson said of securing an insurance policy in the absence of a new deal. (AP)

(AP)

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson met with the media after the team held its lone minicamp practice on Thursday. Here’s a bit of what he had to say:

(On whether he’ll take some time off now) “Not too much. I think for me, right now, I’m going to probably hang out around here this weekend and just relax the next few days and then I start my camp for the kids – I start traveling. That’s going to be fun. Then I go down to San Diego to train. I’ve got a place down there that I’m training at. That will be a lot of fun. Just quiet time, getting ready to go. San Diego’s not a bad place to be. That will be exciting. And then the ESPYs and obviously the Nickolodeon Kids’ Sports Choice Awards. I’ve also got Jermaine Kearse’s wedding so that’ll be fun. That’ll be a blast. So I’m just kind of hanging around, not going too far.”

(On the insurance policy he took out for this season) “In terms of the insurance policy, that’s just being smart. If I do have to play this season, that’s just being smart. That’s all that is, really. I think it’s the right thing to do. In terms of everything else, I love playing football and I love playing here. Hopefully it all works out. I’m just trusting it. But as you guys know, I’m not going to go into great detail about that at all. You know, it’s a private matter. But obviously, I’m excited about the season coming up. I’m excited to get back out there again and I can’t wait for the first whistle. I can’t wait for the national anthem and I can’t wait for training camp and all those things to happen. I’m grateful. To be able to play the quarterback position in the National Football League is the best job in the world so I’m truly excited about that.”

(On if the talk about a new contract wears on him at all) “Does it wear on me? No. I think for me, I’ve been through so much and just to be in the situation – to have this opportunity to have a situation like this where I have the option to potentially be here for a very long time is pretty cool. And I think for me, I just take one day at a time, like I always have. That’s never going to change for me. Whether I’m fortunate enough to receive a lot of money for a lot of hard-earned work or I’m still working for it every day, I’m never going to change in that aspect of it all. It comes down to working my butt off every day and trying to win a lot of games and do as much as I can to be successful for this football team and be successful for myself and my family and all that.”

(On Jimmy Graham) “Jimmy looks unbelievable as you guys have seen the few times you’ve been able to come out here. He’s an exciting football player. To add his talent level to our football team and what we’ve been able to do so far and the tons of guys we have already making plays for us, it’s an exciting thing. Continuing to put our foot down and work. Me and him have been talking a lot about getting up and meeting and training together and also some of the others guys as well. Guys are really pumped up, really pumped up for the season. We had a heartbreaker last season. I think even if we had won, just like the first time we won, we’d still have that fire and that passion, so that’s never going to change for us. So that’s the very exciting part about our team and our mentality, of going out there and being prepared to play and being prepared to play at a high level.”

(On how the team right now compares to where they were a year ago) “Well, I think we’ll have to find out as the season goes on, obviously, but as far as our bond, it’s very good, it’s very, very strong. It’s been exciting. It’s mostly the same guys for the most part, so that’s a really good thing for us in terms of everybody being able to bond together and fight together and to have that mentality. So nothing’s really changed for us. Hopefully continue to elevate one another, hopefully continue to learn from one another and continue to try to remain humble through it all – the success and some of the failures that we’ll go through. We’re excited about the journey of this next season; excited about the journey of this offseason, being able to get away for a little bit and do our own thing to try to make sure that we’re individually ready but also the things off the field that we all have. Like I said, a lot of us have camps and a lot of things going on. Some guys are getting married so that’s exciting, and different stuff. It’s a blessing and we’re all there for one another. And when we get back, we’ll be ready to go and we can’t wait to see all these fans out here and the excitement around our football team and what we can do and the possibilities. You know, I think the idea of what our team can be comes through the hard work, comes through the preparation and comes through the togetherness that we have and that we’ve shown over the past three years. I think it’s going to be an exciting thing.”

(On whether the team is using the Super Bowl loss as a motivating factor) “In terms of the Super Bowl loss, I think it’s a motivating factor for sure, but I don’t think it’s the ultimate one. I think, ultimately, for us, when you’re an ultimate competitor, as a team and an individual, the guys that we have within us, I think it comes down to we want to go out there and dominate as much as we can in every game. That’s just our mindset. So win or loss, we overcome things and we’re used to that. Our personalities, our experiences as young men – every guy in that room, you can find something they’ve overcome. So it’s one of those things where we have a lot of overcomers and that’s our mentality and what we’re looking forward to. And that’s why we believe we can go out there and play at a high level again, week after week. And we compete at a high level against some of the best players in the National Football League every day in practice. We’re excited about that.”

(On Tyler Lockett) “Tyler looks great. Tyler Lockett, he’s running around, flying around, quick as can be. I’m trying to think of who I can compare him to, but I can’t think of anybody, he’s got his own little vibe which is exciting. His ability is going to be great. He’s really learning a lot. He’s asking Doug Baldwin a lot of questions. He’s asking Jermaine Kearse a lot of questions. The wide receiver room right now, and the tight end room – I’m around those guys a lot – and the running back room as well, they’re really, really close and tight-knit.”

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Quotes from Seahawks’ Russell Wilson on his insurance policy, contract situation and more