A bombshell report from Kalyn Kahler, Mike Sando, and Jayson Jenks of The Athletic on Friday morning indicated that Russell Wilson’s trade to the Denver Broncos came not long after the veteran signal caller went to the ownership group for his old team, the Seattle Seahawks, and demanded major changes.
Primarily, Wilson allegedly demanded that longtime head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider were fired, and if he had his way, the team would hire the man who is now his coach in Denver, Sean Payton. Of course, none of that came to pass, as the Seahawks traded Wilson and kept both Carroll and Schneider.
Via The Athletic:
Wilson and Carroll had clashed in recent years over the quarterback’s role in the offense and the overall direction of a team that had gradually declined after back-to-back Super Bowl appearances. Convinced that Carroll and Schneider were inhibiting his quest to win additional Super Bowls and individual awards, Wilson asked Seahawks ownership to fire both of them, according to league sources who spoke to The Athletic on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details. Wilson also had a preferred replacement in mind: Sean Payton, who had recently stepped down from the New Orleans Saints.
Wilson’s attorney told The Athletic that this was “entirely fabricated,” while Wilson took to Twitter in the aftermath of the story and said “I never wanted them fired. All any of us wanted was to win.”
I love Pete and he was a father figure to me and John believed in me and drafted me as well. I never wanted them fired. All any of us wanted was to win.
l’ll always have respect for them and love for Seattle.
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) February 24, 2023
Denver, which agreed to a lucrative contract extension with Wilson before the season, went 5-12 during his first year at the helm. Before the campaign ended, the team fired head coach Nathaniel Hackett.