Russell Wilson Pushes Back on Seahawks' Version of Broncos Trade: 'I Didn't Initiate it'
Wednesday was a day of sharp contrasts during which the Denver Broncos embraced new quarterback Russell Wilson, while the Seattle Seahawks acted almost like jilted lovers. Social media provides an easy platform to engage in petty putdowns, but clearly, the Broncos won the day as they gleefully unveiled the man they feel can lead them out of quarterback purgatory.
It started as an under-handed compliment by way of a #ThankYouRuss tweet.
One of the best quarterbacks in Seahawks history? Who has been better than Wilson? Jim Zorn? Matt Hasselbeck? There hasn't been a more prolific quarterback to suit up in Seattle than the nine-time Pro Bowler and only World Champion signal-caller the team has ever had.
Comparisons and under-handed compliments aside, owner Jody Allen put the onus for the Wilson-to-Denver trade squarely on the player.
“While Russell made it clear he wanted this change, he made Seattle proud and we are grateful for his decade of leadership on and off the field,” Allen said via The Athletic. “We look forward to welcoming our new players and to everyone being fully engaged while working our hardest to win every single day. I trust our leadership to take us into the future, and know we all wish Russell the very best.”
Despite the shade sent his way by the Seahawks, Wilson remained classy and frequently paid homage to his former team and coaches during his introduction at Dove Valley. Wilson sure to set the record straight that his parting with the Seahawks was very much a "mutual" decision.
“Yeah, I didn’t initiate it. It was definitely mutual,” Wilson said. “Along the way, there’s definitely been a lot of conversations and it hasn’t been initiated. But it is what it is. I’m just happy to be here, that’s all I know.”
Picking through Wilson’s well-polished introductory presser on Wednesday revealed the extent to which he knows and respects the QB greats that have preceded him in his new football home.
“There’s been some amazing players here in this organization – some of the greatest of all time,” Wilson said. “I know John Elway is in the back. I used to watch him as a young kid. My dad used to always show me clips of him making plays – a two-sport athlete. He was the epitome of a two-sport athlete. You talk about [Pro Football Hall of Fame QB] Peyton Manning, arguably one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.”
Broncos GM George Paton’s desire to obtain a true franchise quarterback was one of the worst-kept secrets of the offseason. It was a ruse Paton seemed comfortable to let distill, just as long as everybody bought the idea that it was Aaron Rodgers he was fully focused on trading for.
Paton let everyone in on the real backstory that Wilson was his No. 1 target right from the start.
“Once we knew that Russell could be available, he was our No.1 target—he was our priority for the offseason,” Paton said on Wednesday. “We were going to do anything it took to get ‘Russ’. It’s just unique that you can trade a quarterback – a franchise quarterback – in his prime, and we just felt that we had to take that chance.”
Barely able to hide their glee, you can’t blame the Broncos' top decision-makers for feeling like they pulled off a successful bank heist and got away with it. Wilson’s sheer attention to detail keeps him in the elite bracket of NFL quarterbacks and that is only emphasized by his determination to find out more about his new teammates.
Wilson's due diligence proved important once the deal started to gain momentum and he had to make the big decision on whether to waive his no-trade clause.
“That the part of having no-trade clause I think that could happen,” Wilson said. “But I think that once the two teams kind of mutually agreed on the thought process and everything else, I knew that these guys in the locker room are great football players. Over the last week-and-a-half or so, 10 or 14 days, I’ve really had to kind of study the Denver Broncos a little bit pretty quickly and try to figure out was this the right fit for me and everything else, and if it wasn’t there won’t be a change. All the signs said yes. So I was looking forward to it.”
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