On Friday morning the sports world woke up to a shocking news report alleging that before was eventually traded from the Seattle Seahawks, star quarterback Russell Wilson asked the Seahawks ownership group to fire head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider and hire longtime head coach Sean Payton, instead. But Wilson does not seem to be confirming that story.
On Friday morning, shortly after The Athletic reported that he wanted Carroll and Schneider fired, Wilson posted a tweet claiming the shocking allegation was not true, saying “I never wanted them fired.”
“I love Pete and he was a father figure to me and John believed in me and drafted me as well. I never wanted them fired. All any of us wanted was to win. I’ll always have respect for them and love for Seattle,” Wilson said in a tweet.
I love Pete and he was a father figure to me and John believed in me and drafted me as well. I never wanted them fired. All any of us wanted was to win.
l’ll always have respect for them and love for Seattle.
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) February 24, 2023
Whether that’s true or not, it was quite clear over the past year that the relationship between Seahawks leadership and Wilson was not exactly great.
It’s also worth noting that while Wilson did deny wanting both Carroll and Schneider to be fired, he did not deny the portion of the report that said he wanted to play for current head coach Sean Payton.
