SEATTLE — Did Russell Wilson want the Seahawks to fire coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider last February, and replace them with Sean Payton?
That's the allegation in a blockbuster report from The Athletic on Friday morning detailing what went wrong in Wilson's first season with the Denver Broncos.
Wilson denied the claim in a tweet sent an hour or so after the story went live.
"I love Pete and he was a father figure to me and John believed in me and drafted me as well," Wilson tweeted. "I never wanted them fired. All any of us wanted was to win. I'll always have respect for them and love for Seattle."
The Athletic's report stated that Wilson "asked Seahawk ownership" to fire Carroll and Schneider because he "was convinced that Carroll and Schneider were inhibiting his quest to win additional Super Bowls and individual awards," noting Carroll and Wilson "had clashed in recent years" over Wilson's role in the offense.
The Athletic cited sources who it said spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details.
The Athletic further stated that Wilson made the request in Feb. 2021 following a season in which the Seahawks went 7-10 for their first losing record in Wilson's 10 years as quarterback. The Seahawks had not advanced past the divisional round of the playoffs since losing the Super Bowl following the 2014 season.
The story also said that Wilson hoped the Seahawks would hire Payton, who stepped down as coach of the Saints following the 2021 season. Wilson has often mentioned Saints quarterback Drew Brees — who thrived under Payton — as a role model during his early days as a quarterback.
After sitting out the 2022 season, Payton was recently hired as coach of the Broncos.
The Athletic's story said that the Seahawks declined to comment and that a lawyer for Wilson "wrote a letter to The Athletic characterizing the assertion that Wilson called for Carroll's and Schneider's firing" as being "entirely fabricated."
As The Athletic's story noted, the Saints were reported to be on the list of four teams to which Wilson was willing to be traded following the 2020 season, when his unhappiness with the direction of the Seahawks first came to light. After months of rumors that included a report that the Seahawks and Bears had substantial talks involving a trade, Wilson stayed put in 2021.
Following the 2021 season — in which Wilson missed three games because of a finger injury, the first three games he missed in his career — he was traded to Denver on March 8, 2022, waiving his no-trade clause to allow the transaction.
The Seahawks received a package of eight players in return, which included Denver's first-round picks in 2022 (which turned into left tackle Charles Cross) and 2023 (which will be the fifth overall pick when the draft is held in April) as well as second-round picks each year.
In officially announcing the trade on March 16, the Seahawks released a statement in which Carroll, Schneider and team chair Jody Allen all noted that Wilson wanted out.
"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's statement read. "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."
Carroll's statement reiterated that Wilson had wanted out stating, "As Jody stated, Russ' desire in doing something different afforded the organization an opportunity to compete in multiple ways."
Wilson then signed a new five-year, $242 million contract extension with Denver, something that had also been a factor in his trade from the Seahawks. Wilson had two years remaining on his deal with Seattle and Schneider said the Seahawks were "under the impression" that Wilson would not agree to another "long-term extension" with Seattle.
The Athletic's story largely focused on Wilson's first year in Denver, which ended in a disappointing 5-12 record and with rookie head coach Nathaniel Hackett fired with two games remaining.
After a lengthy search, Payton was officially announced as coach on Feb. 3. Because Payton was under contract with the Saints through 2024, Denver had to compensate New Orleans for hiring Payton, sending a first-round pick this year (which it acquired in a trade with Miami that was originally San Francisco's) and a second-round pick in 2024.
The story detailed that Wilson asked for his own office in Denver on the second floor, the same as the coaching staff (noting it was something he did not have in Seattle), as well as using former Seahawks QB Jake Heaps as a personal coach who had access to the building.
The story noted Wilson gave up his office in Denver for the final two games of the season following a 51-14 loss to the Rams on Christmas Day, and that his support staff (which included a physical therapist and nutritionist) no longer were in the building.
While the Broncos struggled last season, the Seahawks became one of the surprise teams in the NFL, going 9-8 to sneak into the NFC playoffs, with Geno Smith — Wilson's replacement — leading the league in completion percentage at 69.8.
The Seahawks' wins included a 17-16 victory over Wilson and Denver in Week 1, a game attended by several former prominent Seahawks of the Carroll era, including cornerback Richard Sherman and defensive end Cliff Avril.
As The Athletic story noted, Carroll and Wilson did not speak before the game but did have a brief interaction afterward.
Asked what he told Wilson in that encounter, Carroll said after the game: "I can't even remember what my words were. I think, 'nice game.' "
Asked about his emotions in coming back to Seattle after the game, Wilson gave a lengthy response in which he mentioned "how much this city has meant to me" and cited six former teammates, including receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, but did not mention Carroll or Schneider.
Following his tweet denying that he asked for Carroll and Schneider to be fired, Wilson tweeted again stating: "Focused on moving forward! Best is ahead."
The Athletic's story illustrates that the topic of Wilson's messy ending in Seattle doesn't figure to disappear anytime soon, sure to be a subject of conversation — and likely questions for Carroll and Schneider — at next week's scouting combine in Indianapolis.
