and he set a deadline that worked September, 1
got his new contract with the Broncos because it was a real
artificial deadlines. Not a probably
artificial deadlines
now that he's getting ready. Peter to go back to Seattle
interesting.
Subplot
who do the fans blame for the divorce?
Russell Wilson, making it clear yesterday, they should not be
blaming him because even though he got traded, and even though
there's a perception, he's the one that wanted out. Russell
Wilson made it clear yesterday that he believes the Seahawks
had
been trying to trade him on multiple occasions
before the trade actually happened. Have a listen to what
he said on Thursday
Miller with the article that came out with ESPN. Do
If you read it, it's suggested that they tried to trade you.
In 2018, only seven years in the league, had suggested
that you and your camper very upset about that. How true is
that? Definitely, they tried to in a couple times and try to
see what was out there. It's part of the business, and it's
part of
being a professional and everything else and
upsets probably the wrong word.
I don't think,
I don't think that, you know, I believe in my town who I am.
And I believe, I'm one of the best in the world. Don't worry
about anything else, other than that, so, if upset isn't
the right word, what is the right way?
Work. I didn't really pay attention to it, be honest with
you, it's far as professional sports, you know.
Look
Chris Simms has been saying on this program for the past few
years now, really before Josh Allen became a superstar
because people are very skeptical about it when we say
it now but Chris said at least two maybe three years ago,
the Seahawks dangled Russell Wilson to the Browns. In 2018
for the number one, overall pick not to take Baker, Mayfield
to take Josh Allen
the year that he went. Number seven,
if you're like, oh, nobody knew Josh, Alum is going to be so
great. Well, nobody knew Patrick homes are going to be
great either in the Chiefs trade. To get him
because they knew they had a feeling he was going to be
pretty good. The Seahawks had a feeling Josh Allen was going to
be pretty good. They were willing to do that trade. It
didn't happen.
I've heard that the following year
at a time when Russell Wilson was trying to become
the highest paid player in league history, with his most recent
contract extension in Seattle,
the Seahawks toyed with and or actually explored
trading Russell Wilson to the Arizona Cardinals, for
the first overall pick in 2019, with which they presumably
would have taken Kyle. Emory and Peter
this is a simple
matter of dollars and cents.
If they had taken Josh Allen with the first pick in 2018,
they would have paid him 32 million over four years.
If they would have taken calamari with the first pick in
2019, they would have paid him. Thirty five point six million
over four years instead, they kept Russell Wilson at
a contract worth 35 million
per year. There's a point where the Seahawks were going to stop
paying Russell Wilson market value money
because they Never fully embraced him on the field as
a franchise quarterback through whom the offense. Runs the guy
who stirs the drink. He was never that guy in Seattle. At
some point they were not going to keep paying him
like he's that kind of quarterback and it was inevitable
that there was going to be
a divorce and I think it's fair to call it. Mutual
I think both sides got to a point where these can't continue
because they're not giving him another contract at the money.
He's going to want and he wants to go somewhere where he is
the centerpiece of The offense not just a cog in a bigger machine.
That Pete Carroll has concocted that goes defense running game
and oh when were down 10 points in the fourth
quarter maybe Russell Will Save Our Ass.
Yeah I agree with you I think very much
excuse me very much, it was mutual
and that's one of the reasons why
you know in the debate of
what should happen when Russell Wilson runs onto the field
and should he get a big Ovation? Should he not
look? I mean I think this is
one of the simplest things
that I've ever.
ever run into in this business,
you know, when a guy who is done great things for your
franchise, regardless of how it ended,
When a guy has done great things for your franchise,
brought you to two Super Bowls
11
when he comes back the first time he comes back.
I think it is. It's ridiculous to do anything but give the guy
a tremendous Ovation and to say thank you.
I just I don't understand why
that wouldn't be the reaction
based on the last 10 years of Seahawks football. I mean
Think before Russell Wilson got there.
You know what this franchise was?
It was a franchise that had some good moments
and just had,
you know, a huge moment with, you know, the upset of
the Saints in the playoffs and
you know but but what were they really
what were they? They were a nice little seven and nine nine
and seven
you know ten and six typed. Team.
And you know, when Russell Wilson got there,
he played there for 10 years,
they made the playoffs eight years. They went to the Super
Bowl twice
and 11 in an absolute route and he never had a passer rating
under 92. I mean
he was drafted after a punter,
10 years ago
And so you know what give John Schneider Applause for having
the guts to take them higher than anybody else.
Good for you John Schneider and give Russell Wilson the credit
he deserves for having transformed,
the Seattle Seahawks
from an oak, a franchise
to a franchise playing
to play deep into the playoffs every year.
And this is the great
test moving forward.
because some would say,
Russell Wilson was right, place right time legion of boom,
not that he was
Average or would have been anything other than a star with
another team. But he enjoyed that high level of performance
because they had such a great defense and when the legion of
boom was dismantled around 2018 ish, the Seahawks
haven't been as competitive as they were when they had that
defense. This is the Pete Carroll argument that it's not
all about Russell. It's never been all about Russell and I'm
not comfortable making it
all about Russell.
The Russell Wilson argument is,
Can be Patrick Mahomes.
I can be Aaron Rodgers.
I can be Josh, Alan I can be the guy.
Just let me be the guy.
That was the underpinning of the whole letras cook
Mantra from 2020. And remember worked tremendously.
You heard every time you turn on the TV or flipped on
the radio, checked out the internet. Hey, Russell Wilson
has never gotten a single MVP vote in his entire career this
year. He may get all of them but then it all
it all fell apart. They caught up
up to let Russ Cook. They didn't make enough changes.
They didn't self Scout themselves as Chris would say
enough to stay ahead of the defense. As once they figured
out what Russell Wilson in the offense was doing.
This is the test. Peter
Nathaniel Hackett, the Broncos
are going to let Russ Cook all year long.
Pete Carroll is going back to
system. System system
defense, running game
efficiency, protect the football, all the coaching,
cliches from the 70s and 80s, that's what Pete Carroll.
When I kind of wish this game was being played later. So both
teams had a chance
to just figure out who they were before. We see this Clash
of cultures but that's really what it is. Russell Wilson
going from Old School.
You are just a piece of the puzzle
to New School. You are the guy. And
who wins? That's what makes Monday night? Fascinating
Mike. I wrote about something in my column. This This week
that
that basically kind of tells the tale of why
Russell Wilson is so much happier now, than he would have
been had. He stayed in Seattle,
and that is, you know, the Monday before he signed the new
contract.
Someone in the building, told me that he's this person said,
hey, I'll tell you why Russell Wilson is happy right now.
On Monday of this week,
he sat with Nathaniel Hackett for 2 to 3 hours
in a room
on a whiteboard with tape, just the two of them going over
plays going over, what he liked, what Hackett wanted to
do. The little wrinkle that Russell might have wanted to
put in
a specific play,
but and that is why
he is happy now because he always wanted Guy
who he could be partners with
some coaches are going to be amenable to that Nathaniel
hackett's, amenable to it. The Broncos are amenable to it.
Obviously, in Seattle,
it isn't that he didn't have the ability to go sit down
with, you know, Brian Schottenheimer or whoever. At
the time,
Shane, Waldron recently,
but he just feels
a lot more empowered right now.
About affecting The offense that he is going to run, we'll
see if it works.
But clearly, that is the difference between Russell,
Wilson's
level of Happiness.
Now, and what it was laid in is Seattle years. And again,
listen,
It's not necessarily that the Seahawks did the wrong thing.
I don't think there is a right or wrong. In this
one side, got tired, both sides, got tired of
the constant head, butting in Seattle
and they just said, look,
let's just make the best deal we can
and move on with our lives
and Mike, I think you and I both realize
that next year,
when the Seattle Seahawks have their own first Pick
and Denver's first-round pick. They're going to be sitting
there with let's just guess
the fifth and 20th picks overall, something like that in
a year
where there could be
some pretty good quarterbacks in the draft.
So the Seahawks are going to have the ability,
barring the miracle of either Geno Smith or, or Drew lock,
showing this year that they deserve to be the quarterback
of the future.
Future in Seattle, but but at some point you have to just
look at the pragmatism of this and pragmatically. I think
the Seahawks would rather be in position to either draft or
somehow acquire their quarterback of the future. Then
this constant head-butting they were doing with
Russell Wilson especially because of what it was going to
cost to keep him Russell Wilson signed last week with
the Broncos, a deal with a new money. Edge technically
forty eight and a half million
per year. On a seven-year deal five-year extension for T hat,
eight and a half million on the extension
Trayvon Walker. The first overall pick in the 2022, draft
signed a four-year 37.4 million dollar contract. All in. It's
about how much money you invest in the position. It's about
having money for the positions, around the quarterback. And
that was the Heyday of the Seattle Seahawks
year, two and three
of the Russell Wilson.
Rookie contract year to
win the Super Bowl year 3.
Almost when the Super Bowl but for a
fateful decision to
pass, a not run at the goal line, they could have had back
to back before they ever gave Russell Wilson a second
contract. So I think that's what's motivating this. It
drives them crazy to pay that much money to a quarterback
when they think they can find someone.
Even if they have to trade up to the top of the draft, if you
go all the way to the top, you're still paying a lot less
in four years
than what Russell Wilson is making in one.
One of the big
issues for Monday night, what kind of a reception will do be
for Worcester Russell Wilson, when he goes back to Seattle?
I don't quite think it'll be Brett Favre back to Lambeau
Field as a member of the Vikings in 2009, where he was
booed
every time he stepped onto the field.
But but it may not be as charitable,
especially if Pete Carroll
gets his way, here's Pete. Sending a not. So subtle.
Message to the Seahawks fans as to how
he would like to hear Russell Wilson, be received on Monday
night.
Right.
Hey, you either competing or not. I'm leaving up the 12th
and
you know
it's game time and we're going forward. And so however they
take it, I'll follow their lead on that. I mean, I'm not going
to be involved with that kind of opportunity to react, you
know. So I'm not I don't have to make that decision. I will
see what
happens, but leave it up to 12, I think, they'll know exactly
what to do,
well know exactly what to do. Hey 12,
you earned that Jersey retirement. Not
Being friendly to the enemy but by being hostile, by being
allowed by making it uncomfortable.
So that's the license to Boo. Don't feel bad.
Don't feel like you're being inhospitable. Don't feel like
you're not being appreciative, he's now wearing the colors of
the enemy react, accordingly. Peter, that's the message from
Pete, Carroll.
I mean I guess so
I I just
I don't know,
you know,
I just feel maybe it's because I'm 65 years old.
I don't feel like everything
is all of a sudden
the the
fourth quarter of the Super Bowl in every play is the most
important play you'll ever play.
I mean, let's be a little human here.
Just, just be a little human,
you know, be be grateful for what you have
and part of that gratitude in Seattle,
you know, you're being,
I don't know. I I will be,
I'll be surprised
and disappointed if at some point
either, maybe when he first runs out, or whatever it is,
that he doesn't get a huge Ovation now,
I guess From the sound of it. He's not going to get a huge
Ovation.
I just, I think it's small.
I just think it's small. I think it's wrong
and whatever, whatever. Anybody would think about. All, let's
compete, let's compete all's fair in Love, and War
and everything, okay.
I mean, all right,
I don't get it. It's just not, that's not the way I would do
it. But again, to each his own,
Well, and you said it, it's a time to be human. Human nature.
Would cause many to skew toward
using the occasion and the opportunity to boo Russell
Wilson and Pete. Carroll just wants a win this game. He wants
to win this game and he understands the value of that
stadium that has been specifically designed to
maximize
the direction of the crowd noise
toward the opposing side line and to make it as uncomfortable
as possible because that's how you win the game and Pete
Carroll wants to prove it.
Nothing else that he was right to move on from Russell Wilson.
Everybody knows he's the one calling the shots ultimately in
Seattle. They really don't have an owner per se. It's Pete
Carroll running that football operation. He decided, let's
move on from Russell Wilson. Let's not
pay Russell Wilson, we can win without him and all's Fair
definitely. Because all Pete Carroll cares about is emerging
from Monday night 1 and 0 and it will help if it's even more
uncomfortable than it, otherwise would be for Russell
Wilson to
Let's go ahead and take a break. Plenty of other week.
One games we will rip through as many as we can when this
Friday edition of PFT live continues, right after this.
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