The eroded relationship between Russell Wilson and the Seahawks got so bad that Wilson reportedly asked ownership to fire head coach Pete Caroll and general manager John Scheider at the end of his time in Seattle, according to the Athletic.
Coincidentally, Wilson's preferred replacement for Carroll was Sean Payton, who had recently resigned from his role as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints. Almost a year later, Wilson would get his wish — only this time it would be with the Denver Broncos after the team traded for Wilson in 2022 and then traded and hired Payton this offseason.
A lawyer for Wilson denied these allegations and wrote to the Athletic that the report that Wilson called for Carroll and Schneider's firing was "entirely fabricated.”
The decision to trade Wilson to the Broncos reportedly came days after he asked Carroll and Schneider to be fired. Per the Athletic, Wilson believed the duo was stunting his ability to win more Super Bowls and awards despite the success of the past decade. The team had just come off a 7-9 season in 2021 and missed the playoffs for only the second time in Wilson's career. Wilson also believed the Seahawks tried to trade him in the past, including if the team drafted Patrick Mahomes in 2017 or to move up during the 2018 draft to select Baker Mayfield or Josh Allen.
Wilson's first season in Denver did not go well. The Broncos lost their Week 1 game to the Seahawks, now led by Wilson's backup, Geno Smith, and went 5-12 on the season — last in the AFC North. Wilson finished with a career-low 16 touchdowns and only threw for 3,524 yards with 11 interceptions. The Broncos fired first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett after 15 games, too.
Now, Wilson gets the coach he originally wanted in Seattle with Payton running the show. But things might not be as easy as they were with the Seahawks. Payton talks as if the Broncos will endure a significant makeover, and he already won't allow Wilson's personal coach inside the team facility. New Broncos quarterbacks coach Davis Webb is also six years younger than Wilson.
Year 2 in Denver should be better — it would be hard to be worse — but Wilson will get a good look if his dream of playing under Payton will be as good as he envisioned it could when he played for the Seahawks.