Former Seahawks Teammate Marshawn Lynch Sounds Off on Russell Wilson
Fans remember how dominant the 2013 Seattle Seahawks defense was after ‘The Legion of Boom’ dismantled the Denver Broncos 43-8 for their first World Championship in Super Bowl XLVIII. The public beatdown eventually led to the turnover of the coaching staff and some players, resulting in a Super Bowl 50 triumph for Denver two seasons later, but the sting from Seattle's beatdown is still felt.
While the Peyton Manning-led Broncos were designing a team with a defense worthy of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, the Seahawks played in a second consecutive Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. Down 28-24 with 26 seconds left on the clock at the one-yard line, Russell Wilson and company set their sights on beating Tom Brady and the Patriots as the world waited for a handoff to Marshawn Lynch.
Instead, a slant pass from Wilson turned into a Malcolm Butler interception, which made New England the Super Bowl XLIX Champions.
The debate about who to blame for the Seahawks’ Super Bowl blunder continues to circulate among fans, just like the question of who was responsible for Seattle’s success. As time has marched on, many of his former teammates have attempted to discredit Wilson, a nine-time Pro Bowler, NFL passer rating leader (2015), and NFL passing touchdowns leader (2017) during Seattle’s championship runs.
The entire team should be credited rather than just one side of the ball. But Lynch himself is appreciative of Wilson's "sacrifices" during Seattle's championship days.
“Russ and Pete, I feel like they were just in a great position to utilize and capitalize on the team that we really had,” said Lynch during a recent appearance on the I Am Athlete Podcast. “I played with Russ, and that little (expletive) is good, do you know what I’m saying? I watched [him] come through and make plays make throws, and I watched him make sacrifices. Yeah, I’m hot because we didn’t win the second Super Bowl, but at the end of the day, I really watched his sacrifice.”
Lynch, a five-time Pro Bowler, was joined by two former Broncos in retired wideout Brandon Marshall and cornerback Adam 'Pacman’ Jones, along with Colorado-native LenDale White, where he was asked point-blank if Wilson was carried by Seattle’s defense and whether he could still play good football in 2023. After all, Wilson’s debut in Denver was considered a colossal disappointment as the Broncos had the league’s worst scoring offense and held a record of 5-12.
“He’s good with me as a football player,” Lynch said. “Just knowing what he’s going to do and the way that he’s going to prepare, I’d pick him on my team; yeah, I got Russ. Alright, he’s a little different, ya’ll, so don’t trip, but he can throw that (expletive), and his little ass can run too.”
As for Wilson’s personality, brand, entourage, and rockstar lifestyle, it seems everyone has an opinion, and most don’t bode well for ‘Mr. Unlimited.’ His overly-hyped brand and antics have made some wonder if he’s a relatable teammate in the locker room and whether his lifestyle and leadership philosophy can recover from a disastrous 2022 season.
When asked about Russell’s personality, Lynch was frank in how different the two backfield mates were.
“Me and Russ are two different types of individuals, which is cool," Lynch said. "But at the end of the day, when we go and play on Sunday, he’s going to sacrifice. Whether he was weak or he was great, I knew that he was going to put everything out there. At the end of the day, I can respect that as a football player.”
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