Broncos QB Russell Wilson: Opener at Seattle 'Has to be Non-Emotional'
Following the latest round of Organized Team Activities (OTAs), Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson addressed his return to Seattle for the 2022 season opener, and the emotions stemming from which.
If you're looking for a juicy soundbite ... sorry to disappoint. The Monday Night Football affair is one of the most succulent matchups on the NFL calendar, but Wilson is treating it like any ordinary game.
“I think it’s going to be an exciting time," he said May 23. "Seattle has meant the world to me over the past 10 years. It’s a special place and a special place to play—Lumen Field. I have high regard for all those guys over there and what they do. I think for me, it’s not emotional. It has to be non-emotional. You have to be able to go into it with the understanding that it’s just ball while also understanding that there have been amazing times. I have thrown a lot of touchdowns there and we’ve won a lot of games there. I had a great experience.
"Every time we go into a stadium, what I actually think about is the one kid in the stadium—boy or girl—that’s sitting in the 300 seats and that may be the last time they get to see you. That’s what the game is about for me. The game is about being able to glorify God, be able to do what I love to do and also be able to put on a show every time you step on the field no matter where it is. I don’t care if it’s in the park, I don’t care if it’s in the parking lot, I don’t care if it’s right here behind us or in a beautiful stadium like Lumen field in Seattle. It’ll be a special place. It’ll always be a special place in my heart, forever. For me, it’s about going in there and trying to play the best football for our football team here and going to try and go win.”
Wilson, 33, spent the first decade of his career with the Seahawks and finished as the franchise's all-time leader in completions (3,079), passing yards (37,059), and passing touchdowns (292). In 10 seasons, he earned nine Pro Bowl nods. The 2012 third-round draft pick also made two Super Bowl appearances, winning one — the infamous Super Bowl 48 blowout of the Broncos.
Wilson's 2021 campaign was marred by a mallet finger injury that cost him three games and snapped his 164 consecutive-starts streak. It also accelerated his departure, a blockbuster March trade sending Wilson to the Mile High City for a package of picks and players.
And, the schedule stars aligning, set up quite the homecoming. Instant appointment viewing.
Even if Wilson won't (publicly) say so.
“I think it’s going to be kind of [exciting]," Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett said on May 12. "It’s a really interesting game to put right there on Monday night, but I’m glad we’re doing it early. That was going to happen at some point in the season, so let’s attack it. Let’s all get into it and rally around the Broncos, and let’s get ready to go in there in a hostile environment and have a good game."
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