Broncos' Russell Wilson 'Will Always' Have Love for Seattle After Seahawks Trade

As Russell Wilson prepares to play in Seattle as a visitor for the first time, the Denver Broncos quarterback has nothing but love for the city where he spent his first 10 NFL seasons.

"Seattle was one of a kind," Wilson told reporters Thursday. "Ten years, I couldn't imagine those years not being in my life and how special they were and how many games we won and how many amazing thrillers, just the Super Bowl we won and everything else. ... Seattle will always mean the world to me. It'll always forever be home for me. It'll always be a special place in my heart."

The Seahawks traded Wilson to Denver in March amid a simmering feud between the franchise quarterback and coach Pete Carroll. Most of the issues between Carroll and Wilson came down to philosophical differences, with the coach wanting a ground-and-pound approach while Wilson wanted to be allowed to cook.

Seattle is seemingly headed toward a retooling season, as the front office chose not to replace Wilson with another franchise quarterback. Carroll will open the 2022 season with Geno Smith as his starter and Drew Lock as the backup. Neither quarterback has shown the capability to be even an average NFL starter in their respective careers.

Wilson, meanwhile, leads a Broncos group that feels primed for a Super Bowl run—provided it's acquired the franchise quarterback of the past and not an inconsistent player amid his injuries last season.

Playing in the most difficult division in football, the Broncos will need to open up the 2022 season with a convincing win as they prepare for the AFC West gauntlet.

As far as Seahawks fans go, they should probably invest in the success of their past quarterback in what will likely be a disappointing campaign.