ESPN: Russell Wilson's Camp 'Pissed' over Seahawks' Interest in Mahomes, Josh Allen
September 7, 2022
Prior to getting traded to the Denver Broncos during the offseason, quarterback Russell Wilson reportedly took issue with some decisions made by the Seattle Seahawks front office.
According to ESPN's Brady Henderson, Wilson was particularly dismayed by the fact that the Seahawks checked in on quarterbacks ahead of the 2017 and 2018 NFL drafts.
Seahawks general manager John Schneider attended now-Kansas City Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes' pro day in 2017 and reportedly would have taken him had he fallen to the latter stages of the first round.
The next year, Schneider was present for now-Buffalo Bills superstar signal-caller Josh Allen's pro day in Wyoming.
Per Henderson, a front-office source said Wilson was "f--king pissed" that Schneider went out of his way to scout potential franchise quarterbacks while he was still in the fold and playing at a high level.
Schneider reportedly reasoned that doing due diligence on top quarterbacks in the draft was a wise move, noting that the Green Bay Packers did the same during his time with the organization and ended up having Aaron Rodgers fall to them in 2005 despite already having Hall of Famer Brett Favre on the roster.
Rodgers sat behind Favre for the first three years of his career before taking over and becoming one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history in his own right.
Wilson is likely a first-ballot Hall of Famer thanks to his nine Pro Bowl selections, one Super Bowl ring and career record of 104-53-1 as a starter.
Despite being a third-round pick in 2012, Wilson won the starting job out of the gate and led the Seahawks to the greatest run of success in franchise history.
With Wilson at the helm, Seattle reached the playoffs eight times in 10 seasons and made it to the Super Bowl twice. If not for a miraculous goal-line interception by New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler, Wilson and the Seahawks would have won back-to-back Super Bowls in 2013 and 2014.
While Wilson has somewhat shockingly never received a single vote for NFL MVP, he has put up some huge numbers during his career, completing 65.0 percent of his passes for 37,059 yards, 292 touchdowns and 87 interceptions while also rushing for 4,689 yards and 23 scores.
The Seahawks may have already gotten the very best out of Wilson, but at 33 years of age, he may have plenty left in the tank.
An injury caused Wilson to miss the first three games of his career last season, but he seems refreshed and rejuvenated after joining a Broncos team that has huge aspirations despite missing the playoffs in each of the past six seasons.
Despite playing in arguably the NFL's toughest division, the Broncos figure to be playoff-bound and perhaps even Super Bowl contenders with Wilson.
The same can't be said for the Seahawks, who are expected by many to be one of the NFL's worst teams, as they are entering the 2022 campaign with journeyman Geno Smith as their starting quarterback.