Danny O’Neil dissects the personal evolution of Russell Wilson

Much like with his comments about Recovery Water and celibacy, Rolling Stone covers and award-shows, Russell Wilson’s most recent stint in the public eye has received plenty of national attention.

Photos: Seahawks kick back on their bye week

For 710 ESPN Seattle’s Danny O’Neil, Wilson’s Instagram-posed bye week trip to Mexico, in and of itself, shouldn’t be a big deal. What it does show, he said, is a glimpse into the evolution of how Wilson is handling the next stage of his career. And O’Neil isn’t convinced he’s doing it smartly.

“It’s not my place as a 40-year-old guy to say how he should choose to live his life, but there is very clearly something different that’s happened throughout this entire year; about how he’s presenting himself,” O’Neil said. “Because he’s a savvy enough guy that he knows the decisions he’s making about presentation, specifically with his relationship, and that is a relationship that, for better or worse, has been way, way more public than I think anything else we’ve seen on this team and what does that mean going forward.”

The comparisons, and fears, between Wilson and Tony Romo’s personal lives are well-documented. The flip-side of Romo, though, is Tom Brady, who has had multiple high-profile relationships with supermodel Gisele Bundchen, and had a TMZ-worthy child with his ex-girlfriend, actress Bridget Moynahan. O’Neil said Brady’s romantic exploits could have been just as high-profile as Wilson has made his, but Brady has limited the actual insight into his personal life.

“And that’s by his design; that doesn’t happen by accident,” O’Neil said. “Russell Wilson is never going to be an anonymous player, but you can choose how public you want to make yourself.”

The downside to this showcase of celebrity and glamour is the perception, O’Neil said. There’s certainly an upside to Wilson inserting himself into this new layer of media coverage. He’s already landed major endorsement deals &#8212 Bose and Alaska Airlines, to name a few &#8212 but, at some point, that leads to a point of diminishing returns.

“I don’t know what it’s like to be in his position and have all of these opportunities, and I certainly don’t want to be the grumpy old man that begrudges him making the most of those, but there’s also a point where I’m like, ‘what’s your goal here?'” Danny said. “Are you going to be the best quarterback of a generation? Are you going to be the most famous football player? What is your goal? Are you going to be a politician at the end of this?”

“This whole very public nature of his relationship with a pop singer confuses me, because it doesn’t fit with most of the other things that I have observed about him … Just about who he is, how he prepares, all those things that he does,” O’Neil added. “This seems very very different.”

Tom Wassell said he’d be surprised if, years from now, the script of Wilson’s football career will be sidetracked as a result of his off-the-field distractions.

“That’s us seeing one too many movies where the hero falls from grace,” Wassell said. “I think we may expect that, but this is reality. There’s too much at stake for him to just lose sight of that.”

Groz noted that may be true, but if the Seahawks lose Sunday against Arizona, Mexico and Ciara will move into Jessica Simpson lore.

“It will all be entirely perception,” Groz said. “If he has a bad game against Arizona, people are going to look at that and say, “see.”

On the other hand, O’Neil pointed out that a great game against Arizona puts Wilson into a different stratosphere &#8212 as the guy who’s dating an R&B singer, goes horseback riding on Mexico beaches and then dominates on the field.

O’Neil said the reality of today’s social media-filled world is that every choice to make yourself more visible also allows you to be vulnerable.

“The more you let people see of you and what you do, the more vulnerable you make yourself,” he said. “And that’s not a reason to not expose yourself, but you need to know what you’re going to get out of it.”

Wilson has never been shy with the media or of publicity and attention, but O’Neil said the QB had previously always controlled which corners people peek in.

“That’s a dangerous road to go down if you’re an NFL player, because you’re opening yourself up, inviting an entire level of scrutiny that doesn’t exist for most NFL players,” he said. “Because now you’re an Us Weekly-type subject.”

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