Russell Wilson’s issues with the Seattle Seahawks has been one of the big stories of the NFL offseason. But apparently the issues have been brewing since the regular season.
The Athletic published a story on Thursday about Wilson’s relationship with the Seahawks. The entire story contains great details and amazing depth. It is well worth your time.
The gist of the story is that Wilson envisions himself as one of the all-time great quarterbacks and wants a greater say in the organization. He thinks the offense should be tailored the way he wants and that the team should take his input on personnel decisions. On the other side, Pete Carroll is committed to playing football a certain way that has worked throughout his career: run the ball, no turnovers, explosive offense.
The Seahawks lost consecutive games in the regular season, with Wilson turning the ball over seven times in those two games. Carroll freaked out over all the turnovers.
After those losses, to Buffalo and the Rams, Wilson had some suggestions for what the offense could do.
The Athletic describes what happened in a meeting:
“In the meeting, he outlined his own ideas for how to fix the offense. His suggestions were dismissed, multiple sources told The Athletic — another reminder to Wilson that the Seahawks did not see him the same way he saw himself, as a player who had earned greater control over his situation, his future, his legacy.
“He stormed out of the room.”
Perhaps The Athletic exaggerated things slightly, but that’s the gist.
The Seahawks ended up firing offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer over philosophical differences. Now there’s all kinds of talk about Wilson wanting a trade.
If Wilson wants more say in personnel decisions, Aaron Rodgers should tell him to join the club. If he wants a better offensive line, he should ask what areas of the team he would like money to be taken away from.
There is no doubt that Wilson is an excellent quarterback. Carroll is also an excellent coach. They have done great things together. They would probably be best off figuring out how to continue working well in the future, but it seems like Wilson might want to see what he could do somewhere else.
