Given some of the past potential tension in their relationship, many thought that Richard Sherman would have even more to say about Russell Wilson on Thursday night. With Sherman working as a studio analyst for Amazon Prime’s broadcast of Wilson’s Broncos (-3.5) and their matchup with the Colts, the potential for Sherman to say something controversial about his former Seahawks teammate seemed high.
But, for the most part, amidst a football game of particularly awful proportions, we didn’t hear much from Sherman — at least in regards to Wilson’s play. That is until Wilson threw a late fourth-quarter pick, on a slant near the goal line, to Indianapolis’ Stephon Gilmore:
Stephon Gilmore picks off Russell Wilson in the end-zone!! #Colts pic.twitter.com/6SiN8ElR4K
— ๐๐ข๐๐๐ข๐ช @๐๐ง๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ณ (@FTBeard7) October 7, 2022
Hmm, while the stakes are certainly much lower, the general dynamic and set-up of that play — a Wilson interception on a late fourth-quarter slant — seems very familiar? (Note: The Colts would go on to win this game 12-9 in overtime.)
Oh, right, I remember this kind of famous Wilson play for the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX … that also involved the Patriots’ Malcolm Butler:
It's officially 2 days away from the NFL season so..
Here's Malcolm Butler's 2-yard interception return when he picks off Russ at the goal line to win #SBXLIX for the @Patriots ๐ฅ
(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/uNHSljBxP7
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 7, 2021
Ah, but see, that’s just a happy coincidence that a similar play happened for the Wilson Broncos.
Well, it didn’t be to such a happy coincidence for Sherman, who shared his thoughts on the play quite succinctly:
Flashbacks
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) October 7, 2022
Sherman even recalled his initial heartbreaking reaction to that famous Super Bowl play:
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) October 7, 2022
On the post-game, Sherman would say he was “triggered” and seemed upset when he didn’t appreciate that Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett didn’t do a very specific thing with the football:
Richard Sherman on final play: โRUN THE BALL! I WISH I HAD MARSHAWN UP HERE. RUN THE BALLโ pic.twitter.com/4da4uZ9xhG
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) October 7, 2022
— sportsvids99 (@sportsvids991) October 7, 2022
Uh, moving on. Sherman would follow this emotional sequence with a reference to the Denver defense playing well and that to win a Super Bowl this year, they would need to be “historic.”
Oh wait, is Sherman referring to the Butler play and Seattle and … oh that makes so much sense.
If Sherman has more things to say about Wilson, specifically, I don’t know that this necessarily means displeasure with his former quarterback. It could simply be that Sherman is still just really, really, really heartbroken over that loss. Though, I don’t think anyone outside of this pair’s thought process will take Sherman’s reaction that way. Not even close.