When the Seattle Seahawks traded Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos in 2022, there was a preconceived notion that it happened because there was a deterioration in the relationship between Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll.
However, Russell Wilson said that the rumors are not true at all and added that it’s “all love” between him and his former NFL mentor.
Credit: Jane Gershovich/Getty Images
“We’ve always had a good relationship. He was like a father figure to me,” said Wilson on the I Am Athlete podcast. “So I never understood why people were trying to tear it down. To me, going back to see Pete was because of the love that was there. I got no hate in my heart. Just love.”
“I just wanted to celebrate him because I thought he gave me so much. In the midst of everybody talking all this noise about me and Pete, we’ve always forever been connected,” he added.
Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll’s time together with the Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll are arguably two of the most important figures in Seattle Seahawks history, as they enjoyed a period of success together in the 2010s.
The QB-head coach duo led the team to consecutive Super Bowl appearances, including winning the first championship in franchise history over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 48. If it weren’t for Malcolm Butler’s interception in Super Bowl 49, the Seattle Seahawks would’ve won back-to-back.
In their 10 years together, other than the one Super Bowl they won, Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll won over 65 percent of their regular-season games, led the Seattle Seahawks to nine winning seasons, and four division titles.
Under Carroll’s tutelage, Wilson was one of the league’s greatest dual-threat quarterbacks of all time, as he made nine Pro Bowls and threw for over 37,000 yards. The former third-rounder was also the NFL passer rating leader in 2015 and the passing touchdowns leader in 2017.
Credit: Getty Images
Right now, Wilson is at a career crossroads after two subpar seasons with the Denver Broncos, especially after he was benched late in the 2023 regular season for Jarrett Stidham.
As for Carroll, he was removed from the role of head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, with Mike Macdonald replacing him this offseason.
