Michael Bennett Says Seahawks 'Can't Win a Game Without Russell Wilson'

While the defense has played a big role in the Seattle Seahawks' success in recent years, defensive end Michael Bennett believes quarterback Russell Wilson is the most irreplaceable member of the squad.

"On a team with competitive people, there are going to be issues that are going to happen," Bennett said in an interview on 710 ESPN Seattle (h/t ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia). "There's just a lot of alpha males running around, but everybody supports Russell Wilson. We can't win a game without Russell Wilson. Russell Wilson is a top-five quarterback in the NFL. We cannot win a game without a guy like that."

Bennett alluded to an article by ESPN The Magazine's Seth Wickersham in which Wickersham wrote there's a level of friction toward Wilson from his teammates:

"The division remained, but then again, Wilson has been a divisive figure almost from the moment he earned the starting job, long before he became the most famous and highest-paid Seahawk. It seems to go beyond the normal jealousy aimed at most star quarterbacks. Teammates privately seem to want him exposed, but ask them why, or on what grounds, and their reasons vary."

According to Wickersham, Wilson's interception near the end of Seattle's Super Bowl XLIX defeat to the New England Patriots highlighted his failings as a passer—issues some teammates say head coach Pete Carroll doesn't necessarily address or acknowledge.

Cornerback Richard Sherman in particular "thinks Carroll hasn't held Wilson or many young Seahawks to the defense's championship standard," per Wickersham.

Bennett called the story "trash" on Twitter:

Earlier in the month, Wilson called Sherman "one of the best teammates I could ever ask for."

Regardless of whether there's any resentment toward Wilson, his importance to the team is clear, especially with questions about the running game. Eddie Lacy missed 11 games in 2016 with the Green Bay Packers and averaged only 4.1 yards a carry in his last healthy season.

Over the past three years, Seattle has ranked first, fourth and fifth in defensive efficiency. During their run to a Super Bowl 50 title, the Denver Broncos showed a great defense can take a team a long way.

Should Wilson fail to put a productive season together, though, the Seahawks would likely have little chance of collecting their second Super Bowl ring.