In the 2021 season, then-Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson sought more control over the franchise plan than head coach Pete Carroll was comfortable with. That was public knowledge, and it led to Wilson waiving his no-trade clause when the Seahawks moved him to the Denver Broncos last March for three players and a bevy of draft picks.
What was not known until now was that Wilson allegedly tried to have Carroll and general manager John Schneider fired before the trade happened.
In a Friday article by Kalyn Kahler, Mike Sando and Jayson Jenks of The Athletic, it’s revealed that Wilson implored Seahawks ownership to make major changes at the top following that 2021 season. Wilson’s choice was clear: He wanted Sean Payton, who is now the Broncos’ head coach after one failed season with Nathaniel Hackett.
Wilson and Carroll had clashed in recent years over the quarterback’s role in the offense and the overall direction of a team that had gradually declined after back-to-back Super Bowl appearances. Convinced that Carroll and Schneider were inhibiting his quest to win additional Super Bowls and individual awards, Wilson asked Seahawks ownership to fire both of them, according to league sources who spoke to The Athletic on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details. Wilson also had a preferred replacement in mind: Sean Payton, who had recently stepped down from the New Orleans Saints.
Wilson issued a denial of the story via social media.
I love Pete and he was a father figure to me and John believed in me and drafted me as well. I never wanted them fired. All any of us wanted was to win.
l’ll always have respect for them and love for Seattle.
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) February 24, 2023
Wilson’s first season with the Broncos was a complete disaster — Denver finished with a 5-12 record, had a -72 point differential, and Wilson finished 29th in DYAR and 28th in DVOA among qualifying quarterbacks. He had never finished lower than 16th in either metric during his 10 seasons in Seattle.
Meanwhile, with veteran quarterback Geno Smith, the Seahawks finished with a 9-8 record, made the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 season, and Smith finished ninth in DYAR and 12th in DVOA.