Russell Wilson Disputes the Report He Requested that the Seahawks fire Coach Pete Carroll
According to The Athletic, the quarterback felt Carroll was “inhibiting his quest from winning.”
Russell Wilson reportedly tried to get his former team, the Seattle Seahawks. To fire head coach Pete Carroll before being trade to the Denver Broncos, according to The Athletic.
The outlet reported on Friday that Russell Wilson, 34, approached Seahawks executives in February 2022 to discuss his issues with Carroll and general manager John Schneider.
Wilson reportedly felt that the current coaching staff was impeding his quest for more Super Bowls and individual awards. According to the report, the quarterback desired that Sean Payton replace Carroll as head coach.
Following the report, Wilson denied the allegations and expressed admiration for Carroll.
“I love Pete, and he was a father figure to me, and John believed in me and drafted me,” Wilson said on Twitter.
“I never wanted them fired,” he went on to say. “The only thing any of us wanted was to win. I’ll always have admiration for them and a soft spot for Seattle.”
Wilson was traded from the Seattle Seahawks to the Denver Broncos in March 2022. He signed a five-year, $245 million contract extension with the team shortly before the regular season began. But he and the team struggled, and the Broncos finished with five wins and 12 losses, far from what the Super Bowl-winning quarterback had hoped for.
“You’re trying to find that magic,” Wilson told reporters after Denver’s final game of the season, a 31-28 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. “I know I feel like I fell short of my standards and level of expectations,” he added, according to ESPN. “I just want to relive that.”
The tumultuous season it also resulted in the firing of head coach Nathaniel Hackett the day after Christmas.
Payton, 59, was name head coach of the Denver Broncos by the NFL on February 6.
Payton spoke to the media about Wilson’s talent and worked ethic as the team continued to navigate the offseason.